Duke is expected to be one of the better teams in the country next season, but it was also hopeful that it would bring back some of its top players and not lose them to the NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, that isn't how everything has unfolded, as sophomore Isaiah Evans announced earlier in the week that he's deciding to take his talents to the 2026 NBA Draft.
Evans should find himself picked in the first round if everything goes as planned, though there is still a lot that has to happen in the pre-draft process for everybody to get a good feel about it. Unfortunately, he's probably not a guaranteed first-round pick if things don't go well for him in the draft process.
In a recent mock draft, however, he fell in the first round and went with the 21st pick to the Detroit Pistons.
“21. Detroit Pistons (via Minnesota) Isaiah Evans, 6-6, Duke sophomore wing Evans is a legitimate sharpshooter with the off-ball chops to thrive without even running any offense for himself, which is a perfect fit in Detroit, where Cade Cunningham needs live targets in the corners.
“The Pistons were 29th in 3-point attempts and 17th in 3-point percentage this season, so more shooters like Evans are needed. With the Pistons down 1-0 to the Magic, what felt missing? Secondary creation. As a sophomore, Evans made great progress on-ball as well, getting to the rim with a greater frequency while showing flashes as a playmaker. In the long term, he could have higher upside as a shot-creator," Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo wrote.
From a player and team standpoint, taking Evans would make a lot of sense for the Pistons. He proved during his time at Duke that he can shoot it with the best of them in college basketball, and putting more shooting around Cade Cunningham should be a priority. Hopefully, that's where he ends up, as he could be used on a team like that right away.