Duke guard Isaiah Evans shoots against Texas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
It wasn’t how he envisioned it, but Isaiah Evans is headed to the NBA.
While Evans was the only NBA Draft green room invitee not taken in the first round, the North Meck grad and former Duke star found his new home early in the second round, being selected No. 33 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Brooklyn Nets originally owned the pick, but Evans was immediately routed to Minnesota as part of the pre-draft trade involving Julius Randle.
Evans starred at North Meck High School, leading the Vikings to a state championship his senior year. He was a McDonald’s All-American and North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
The North Meck grad was a consensus five-star recruit, and committed to play college basketball at Duke where he developed into a prolific perimeter shooter.
In his sophomore season, Evans averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 three-pointers made per game. He was named to the ACC All-Third Team and the ACC All-Tournament First Team.
In the ACC Championship, Duke defeated Virginia 74-70, as Evans led the team in scoring with a game-high 20 points. During his time at Duke, the Blue Devils went 35-4 and 35-3, respectively, and made runs to the Final Four and Elite Eight.
Evans joins the Timberwolves, who are coming off a 49-33 season and a trip to the Western Conference semifinals. He joins a backcourt that includes four-time NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu, who recently signed a five-year, $112 million contract.
