With the NBA Draft lurking like an Uber Eats delivery person behind you in line at McDonald's, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo put out his final mock for the 2026 class. Through the draft cycle, we’ve seen all sorts of different players and archetypes mocked to the Los Angeles Lakers. A name I’m surprised we haven't seen mocked to LA more is Duke wing, Isaiah Evans, who Woo had at No. 25.
Evans is a sophomore who tested NBA Draft waters last summer before deciding to return to the Blue Devils for a second year. While his pursuit of helping Duke win a national title fell short, what didn’t fall short was his production as he took a huge leap in his sophomore campaign.
Evans has always been someone who felt like a natural fit alongside the Lakers' core group of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James because of his elite 3-point shooting. Evans has a quick release and effortless shooting motion that doesn’t alter whether a hand is in his face or he’s wide open.
For a Lakers team that struggled to really space things out for Luka last season, Evans' fit would be seamless, as his shooting and positional size would complement LA’s stars extremely well.
Isaiah Evans’ shooting would give LA an immediate spark
This past season, Evans averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 36.1 percent from deep on 7.4 attempts per game. Evans, being a high-volume, efficient shooter, would be an instant part of JJ Redick's rotation. That archetype is something this Lakers roster lacks. Whether it’s off the catch or a transition pull-up, Evans shoots with so much confidence.Â
Once he starts to see one or two shots fall in a row, it’s bound to be a long night for the opposing defense because his confidence gets even higher than it already is. I often go back to a game against Pitt this season, when he hit 5-of-6 from distance and finished with 21 points in 25 minutes.Â
When we talk about best attributes, I would say his confidence may be his top quality, even outweighing his shooting ability.
Of course, no prospect, especially one mocked at No. 25, comes without its flaws. Evans definitely has his fair share.
He got the nickname "Slim" because of his slender frame, and while that does help him get to the basket and weave in between defenders, it creates major problems defensively. At 6-foot-5.5 (barefoot) with a 6-foot-8.75 wingspan, he has the natural body to develop defensively, but right now, he gets bodied and bullied by stronger offensive players too easily.
For him to be more than another guy who comes off the bench, shoots triples, and gets hot, adding some mass to his 186-pound frame is needed.
Outside of that, he can at times have tunnel vision and isn’t a great playmaker. Both of those are things I don't see as overly affecting him in the NBA, because he’s never going to be viewed as a passer or playmaker and will mostly be used off the ball.
Other positives include the growth of his understanding and awareness in-game from his freshman to sophomore season. He also grew as a self-creator, becoming more comfortable attacking defenders in isolation, and I expect that to be something he continues to improve on in the NBA.Â
Whether the Lakers retain Luke Kennard or not, this team is going to need perimeter shot creators if they want to compete next season. Nabbing a confident, young, and long sniper at the end of the first round in Evans would be a great use of No. 25 in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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