The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the 2026 NBA Draft with a clear need for perimeter depth. They'd traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets, thus creating more clarity down low. With Donte DiVincenzo recovering from an injury, however, questions persisted about how the Timberwolves would approach the No. 33 overall selection.
With no hyperbole necessary, Minnesota may have landed the biggest steal of the 2026 NBA Draft with an Isaiah Evans selection that instantly addressed their biggest issues.
Evans was a projected first-round pick who ranks among the best shooters in the 2026 NBA Draft. Standing at 6'5.5" with a 6'8.75" wingspan and pro-caliber athleticism, there was inevitable hype suggesting he could be a 3-and-D specialist.
Evans has a thin frame at 186 pounds, however, and has thus faced questions pertaining to his ability to defend at an adequate level in the NBA.
The Timberwolves appear confident in his ability to translate his collegiate success to the NBA. If so, they'll be adding a player who averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 blocks, 0.7 steals, and 2.7 three-point field goals made on .433/.361/.860 shooting for the 35-3 Duke Blue Devils.
A volume shooter going to a Timberwolves team that ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in three-point efficiency, Evans is a brilliant pick.
Isaiah Evans checks several key boxes for Timberwolves
Minnesota finished the 2025-26 regular season ranked No. 17 in three-point field goal percentage. It also ranked No. 14 in three-point field goals made and No. 20 in catch-and-shoot three-point field goals made.
That alone would offer cause for concern, but the potential for disaster stems from the fact that their most productive off-ball shooter, DiVincenzo, could miss the entire 2026-27 season.
DiVincenzo ranked No. 1 on the Timberwolves with 2.3 catch-and-shoot three-point field goals made per game—0.6 more than any other player on the team. He also ranked second on Minnesota in three-point field goals made per game after Anthony Edwards.
Already a middle-of-the-pack three-point shooting team with DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves needed to replace him to even stay the course. If nothing else, Evans could help them do exactly that.
Evans shot 41.6 percent on 4.1 three-point field goal attempts per game as a freshman. He put up an absurd 7.4 attempts per contest as a sophomore, but even still, he remained generally efficient in a demanding role as a shooter.
If Evans can continue to excel as a shooter who specializes in off-ball action in Minnesota, then the Timberwolves may just be able to call him the biggest steal of the draft.
