Duke basketball’s Isaiah Evans is one of 106 players on a list of early entry candidates for the 2025 NBA Draft.
The NBA released the full list April 29. Evans, who is set to return for his sophomore season with the Blue Devils, appears to be going through the draft process to get feedback before returning to Duke. He’s projected to be a first-round pick in next year’s draft.
On April 22, Evans confirmed his return to the Blue Devils with a social media post when the program’s official X account asked him if he would be back for a second season in Durham. “Yea” was Evans’ reply.
A 6-foot-6 wing, Evans shot 41.6% from beyond the arc and made multiple 3-pointers in 17 games as a freshman, including five in a row during his best stretch of the season. He averaged 6.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 13.7 minutes across 36 games. As a sophomore, Evans projects to be included in Duke’s starting lineup.
The NBA Draft Combine in Chicago is set for May 11-18. Players who want to maintain their college eligibility must withdraw their names by May 28. The 2025 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25-26 in Brooklyn.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach and Tyrese Proctor are the other Blue Devils on the NBA’s list of early entrants. Duke’s freshman starters from last season are projected to be top-10 picks.
Washington State transfer Cedric Coward, who committed to Duke on April 28, is also among the players set to go through the draft process. Coward, like Evans, could be in Duke’s starting lineup to start the 2025-26 season, which is Jon Scheyer’s fourth as head coach.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
