Isaiah Evans finally got to make his Summer League debut on Saturday for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former Duke star was forced to miss Minnesota's first game in Las Vegas as he was held up in NBA red tape.
The trade that netted the Wolves the pick used to select Evans in the second round wasn't finalized until Friday due to the inclusion of Mo Gueye, who wasn't technically trade-eligible until 90 days after he signed his contract.
That not only forced Evans to sit out Thursday's game, but it also prevented him from even practicing with the team.
So, of course, it should come as little surprise that Evans looked rusty and out of sync when he finally took the floor for the Timberwolves on Saturday. He couldn't even practice with the team until Friday.
In a 101-82 loss to the Nuggets, Evans finished with four points in 26 minutes and hit just 2-of-15 from the floor. He missed all nine of his three-point attempts. Evans finished as a game-worst -27.
Isaiah Evans had a brutal debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Summer League
Better days are ahead for Evans.
And in fairness to him, it wasn't all bad.
Evans' defense was rock-solid across the board, which speaks more to his chances of making a long-term impact in the NBA.
Isaiah Evans on-ball defense pic.twitter.com/jopS6vl9PZ
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) July 12, 2026
The offensive ability isn't really in question. Even the best shooters have off nights, and Evans certainly had an off night in his first game in Vegas. But he's too good an offensive talent to string together too many of those.
But one of the biggest questions about his NBA transition was whether he could withstand the physicality of the league on the defensive end. His thin frame was worrisome, and obviously, Summer League is a different beast from the NBA regular season, but he more than held his own in his first professional action.
Evans is going to keep working. He'll look worlds better offensively in time for Minnesota's next game. The added practice time and reps that will come moving forward will help with that. It wasn't realistic to believe that Evans could come in and string together brilliance after being sidelined through no fault of his own.
Evans and the Wolves will be back on the court on Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. Duke fans can tune in to see Evans play at 11pm ET with the game being broadcast on ESPN2.
Add us as a preferred source on Google