The Golden State Warriors have been rolling since their trade deadline acquisition of ex-Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler, as the group has come out victorious in 14 of his first 15 contests with the club to build a current 39-28 record.
Possessing the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, Golden State will look to possibly contend for a title this season, but their championship aspirations have never stopped the organization from finding diamonds in the rough when NBA Draft season rolls around.
In fact, Golden State’s scouting department and their general manager Mike Dunleavy could look to strike gold in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft by selecting Duke’s sharpshooting guard Isaiah Evans with the No. 42 overall pick.
Golden State has a chance to find a solid talent in the later stages of the draft once again after their recent pair of solid selections in Quinten Post as the No. 52 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was selected at No. 57 overall in 2023.
At 6-foot-6, Evans has solidified himself as one of the best three-point shooters in the country as a freshman for the Duke Blue Devils, as evidenced by his blistering 43.9% shooting accuracy from distance paired with a ridiculous 62.8% effective field goal percentage.
Evans averaged 7.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 31 appearances for Duke throughout the regular season, but talent evaluators and scouts will be looking to get a grip for how the skilled guard can affect games throughout the program’s run in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, with a chance to compete for a national championship.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have Evans landing with Golden State at No. 42 overall in their latest mock draft, and his fit with the Warriors could prove to be sensational.
As an off-ball operator and fantastic catch-and-shoot threat, Evans’ impact on a Warriors team looking to capitalize on the remaining prime years of Stephen Curry’s career may be astronomical if he were to contribute in spot minutes.
With regard to his pure shooting ability, Evans has proven to be adept at relocating on the perimeter to find wide open space to let go of a long-range attempt, and his reputation could give opposing teams another threat from the outside that must be accounted for at all times, aside from Curry.
If his performance throughout March Madness warrants a selection by Golden State with the No. 42 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Evans could end up making a world of a difference for a group trying desperately to extend their title window with the trio of Curry, Butler and Draymond Green still playing excellent basketball.
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