For the next month before the 2026 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at No. 22. Next up in this series is Duke’s Isaiah Evans.
Isaiah Evans was a five-star recruit and one of the top high school players in the country when he committed to Duke. He joined a loaded freshmen class featuring Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Evans likely didn’t have the year he was hoping
for as senior Tyrese Proctor and Tulane transfer Sion James were the other Blue Devils starters. Still, he turned a solid first year, nailing over 41% of his threes.
He decided to come back to Durham for a second season with an expanded role. He became an important cog for Duke as a sophomore, earning Third Team All-ACC honors while helping his team advance to the Elite Eight. Known for elite movement shooting, Evans showed marked improvement in his second collegiate season, but will it be enough to get him taken in the first round?
Profile
2025-26 Stats: 38 games, 28.2 minutes, 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, 43.3% FG, 36.1% 3P, 86.0% FT
Team: Duke
Year: Sophomore
Position: SG
Height & Weight: 6’5.5” | 186.0 lbs
Born: December 6, 2005 (20)
Hometown: Fayetteville, North Carolina
Strengths
As soon as Evans steps on the floor he’s a threat to shoot. As a freshman, he shot 41.6% from deep on 4.1 attempts while only playing 13.8 minutes a game. That’s 12 threes per 40 minutes. The sheer volume is impressive. As a sophomore, the efficiency dipped (36.1%), but he was taking 7.4 triples a night while taking on a much larger role.
If Evans goes in the first round, shooting will be why. He’s an excellent shooter off movement and is in constant motion on the floor. He understands spacing and played extremely well off the dominant Cam Boozer in 2025-26. His form is fluid and repeatable and his release is lightning quick. He’s arguably the best pure shooter in the class.
What you like to see is his improvement from inside the arc. He jumped from 50% on twos as a freshman to 56.7% as a sophomore on way more attempts. He punished sleeping defenses with well-timed back-door cuts and made defenders pay for overaggressive closeouts. He’s not a playmaker by any means, but showed some ability to comfortably put the ball on the floor.
Other things Evans has going for him are height and length. He measured nearly 6-foot-6 without shoes at the combine with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. A sharpshooter with the versatility to play guard or wing would be invaluable. While he was listed at 175 pounds at Duke, he weighed in at 186 at the combine, perhaps a sign he’ll be able to gain muscle going forward.
Weaknesses
The reality is all of Evans’ game could use work outside of his shot.
As mentioned, he’s not a creator off the dribble. His ability to move without the ball is crucial. While movement shooting is an NBA skill every team covets, he’s a limited offensive player overall.
And while he has height and length, he is quite skinny. He was often pushed around by bigger players, casting doubt on his ability to viably guard NBA wings — or really guard anybody. He’s going to need to gain muscle to hang with NBA players for 82-plus games a season. He’s also just an OK athlete.
Positional Fit
Evans profiles best as a two. He doesn’t handle well enough or playmake enough to be a point guard and he’s likely too skinny to play the wing. For the Sixers, there could certainly be a fit as a sharpshooter off the bench. The New York Knicks just won the NBA Finals in part because of how they outshot their opponents — including the Sixers — from three. Having a guard like Evans who can come in firing would be a plus. His shooting can legitimately be game-changing (watch his game against St. John’s in the Sweet 16).
The issue is going to be how he can fit next to Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. It’s funny because Evans has shades of a taller and longer Isaiah Joe. Again, if Evans can add strength — the pounds he seemingly added ahead of the combine are encouraging — and improve defensively, perhaps he can play the wing. That would make him much more valuable, especially to a team like the Sixers. The other concern is usage. Nick Nurse never seemed to find a way to use Jared McCain, who thrived in OKC. Would Nurse be able get the most out of Evans?
Draft Projection
SB Nation Mock Draft: No. 30, Dallas Mavericks
Most mocks have Evans going somewhere in the 20s. Here he’s taken with the last pick in the first round. Going to Dallas and reuniting with his former Duke teammate in Flagg would make a good bit of sense. They need all the spacing they can get for their budding superstar and Evans already has experience playing off of him.
