Isaiah Evans is already carrying his draft-night slide into his first days with the Timberwolves.
The 20-year-old came out of two seasons at Duke with first-round expectations, but when the 2026 NBA Draft played out, he was still on the board until the third pick of the second round, 33rd overall. Minnesota ended up with him there, and Evans wasted no time turning that number into a little fuel.
After his summer league debut, Evans explained why he’ll wear No. 33. The clip was courtesy of Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage.
"Yeah, I just need a constant reminder,” Evans said. “Just a chip on my shoulder every day I wake up. I put this jersey on, it’s a subtle reminder.”
That mentality fits the path he’s on. Evans was one of the players invited to the 2026 NBA Draft Green Room, and among that group he was the last one selected, since everyone else went in the first round. It’s the kind of wait that can sting in the moment, but it also gives a player something to carry with him.
A 6-foot-6 guard, Evans can point to a familiar example of a long wait not defining the rest of the story. Aaron Rodgers was the last player to hear his name called from the green room in 2004, going 24th overall, and he remains active and is a surefire future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Evans’ first summer league outing, though, was rough. He went 2-for-15 from the field and missed all nine of his 3-point attempts on Saturday.
There are a couple of reasons not to read too much into that. Minnesota acquired the 33rd pick in the Julius Randle trade, but the deal was only made official on Friday, which kept Evans out of the Wolves’ summer league opener. And rookies are rookies in July; even Victor Wembanyama opened his summer league career in 2023 by hitting just 2 of 13 shots.
Minnesota is expected to be a very good team next season, so Evans may not have a straightforward path to regular rotation minutes. Still, he brings traits that matter: shooting range that few players can match and the length to defend on the wing.
That combination gives him a real chance to stick, and maybe for a lot longer than most second-round picks do.
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