This Duke wing confirmed he has already met with the Mavericks and said playing alongside Cooper Flagg again “would be awesome.”
The Dallas Mavericks are doing their homework ahead of the June 23 NBA Draft, and one of the names on their radar at pick No. 30 is a familiar one.
He's Isaiah Evans, the Duke wing who spent his freshman season playing alongside Cooper Flagg before stepping into a starting role this past year.
He confirmed in a recent interview that he has already met with Dallas and would welcome a reunion with his former teammate.
“Yeah, I’ve met with the Mavericks,” Evans said. “It’d be awesome to play with Cooper for sure. I played with him for a year. I think I know where I can help, the spots that need to be at. He’s a really good player and I’d love to be able to complement him and help him on his journey.”
The Duke connection in Dallas is becoming increasingly noticeable. Flagg and Kyrie Irving are both former Blue Devils stars, while Dereck Lively II also came through Duke before arriving in Dallas. Adding Evans would give the Mavericks four Duke products on the roster.
When asked about potentially playing alongside Irving, Evans quickly made it clear the idea appealed to him.
“Kyrie’s one of those guys that I’d definitely watch for sure,” Evans said. “And then him and Cooper both being from Duke, it would just be a cool experience.”
Beyond the storyline, the basketball fit makes sense as well.
Evans averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game during his sophomore season at Duke while shooting 43.3% from the field, 36.1% from 3-point range and 86.0% from the free-throw line. He earned All-ACC third-team honors and finished third in the conference in made 3-pointers at 2.7 per game.
His best basketball came late in the season. During Duke’s Elite Eight run, Evans averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 49.0% from the floor across four NCAA Tournament games. He also exploded for 32 points during the ACC Tournament and added 25 points against St. John’s in the Sweet 16.
At 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Evans checks many of the boxes NBA teams prioritize in modern wings. He can shoot off movement, space the floor, defend multiple positions and thrive without dominating the ball. If Evans remains available when Dallas picks at No. 30, the Mavericks could find themselves looking at one of the better value selections in the draft and another potential long-term piece alongside Flagg