After the Minnesota Timberwolves traded away their first-round pick in a deal that sent forward Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets, the Timberwolves made their first draft selection in the second round. Minnesota selected Isaiah Evans from Duke with the 33rd overall pick. 

Evans will join a Timberwolves roster that is depleted in the backcourt. The Timberwolves re-signed Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract, but will be without Donte DiVincenzo for the majority of the season. 

The Timberwolves have lacked a reliable second option in the backcourt alongside Anthony Edwards for multiple seasons, and Evans has the upside to be that player for them. 

Isaiah Evans played two seasons with the Duke Blue Devils and had a breakout season in his second season. He saw a big increase in scoring, going from 6.8 points per game his freshman season to 15 points per game his sophomore season. 

What really drew scouts towards Evans was his shooting. Evans is a taller guard who can score off the ball and has the shooting ability that many teams are looking for.

While Isaiah Evans shot just 36 percent from three-point range in his final season at Duke, his number of attempts was higher, and he could see a decrease in volume in the pros. 

Minnesota will likely center Evans' development around his shooting ability, and the coaching staff will look to get him open looks. He joins a team that will need him come playoff time after some struggles from the perimeter. 

The Timberwolves went through their shooting woes through the first two rounds of the postseason, shooting just 33.7 percent from downtown. Evans has the upside to fix that, as he had multiple games where he scored 20 or more points, leading to wins for Duke. 

In the 2026 Sweet 16 against St. John's University, Evans finished the game with 25 points, shooting 10-15 from the field as well as 4-8 from downtown. If Evans can put together games like this with the Timberwolves, they may start to see more success during the playoffs. 

Minnesota has one more pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, sitting at No. 59. The franchise could choose to move off the pick, but if they don't, they have a chance to potentially get an experienced prospect ready to make an impact come the start of the regular season.