The NBA transition hasn't been as smooth for Isaiah Evans as it has been for his former Duke teammate Cameron Boozer. He struggled to find his shot in the Summer League. Part of his struggles had to do with the complicated draft-night trade that forced him to sit out the beginning of Summer League while also missing some valuable practice time.
Those struggles continued in the preseason, but he wasn't getting consistent run, either. He logged only eight minutes against the Bucks and seven minutes against the Pacers. He played 22 minutes against the Heat and scored nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from three, signaling a breakout was coming.
Two games later, the Wolves wrapped up preseason play against the Chicago Bulls, and Evans was one of the best players on the court.
He got his most playing time of the preseason, logging 30 minutes on Friday night. He made the most of them.
He scored a game-high 21 points and hit 5-of-10 from three. He also showed some playmaking, dishing out three assists in the Timberwolves' loss:
Isaiah Evans tonight:
— Wolf Wise Statistics (@WolfWiseStats) October 17, 2026
21 PTS
2 REB
3 AST
6-13 FG
5-10 3PT
6.5 Wise Rating pic.twitter.com/Cyj14mcunR
Isaiah Evans showed the Timberwolves his value as the regular season approaches
Evans left a heck of a final impression on the Minnesota front office and coaching staff to wind down the preseason. The Timberwolves have a deep roster, one they believe can compete at the top of the Western Conference so finding playing time as a rookie won't be easy. But Evans showed what he's capable of, and that he can absolutely help this team with his off-ball movement and shooting ability.
He looked like the player the Wolves knew they were getting when they traded back to the early second-round range to ultimately acquire him. He's a guy they believed could earn quick minutes and make an immediate impact.
Don't be surprised if he doesn't get a ton of playing time early on. It's going to be tough to crack a veteran-laden rotation, but the future is still bright for Slim. He's more than just a shooter, as he showed with a couple of nifty passes against the Bulls.
Evans could end up spending some time in the NBA's developmental G-League this season. The key for him will be to continue to add weight and get stronger. That's going to keep him from getting pushed around too much on defense. He's got the length to be a real weapon on that end of the floor with his developmental path pointing toward being a three-and-D wing at this level.
He flashed that high-level impact at the end of preseason, which could be enough to earn him some early minutes in Minnesota as a rookie.
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