Knicks hold group workout that includes Duke guard Isaiah Evans as draft planning continues

The New York Knicks are continuing their pre-draft process with an early look at Duke guard Isaiah Evans, a move that underscores the club’s ongoing search for shooting and spacing options in the upcoming NBA Draft. According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Knicks hosted a group workout for draft prospects that included Evans as New York evaluates potential fits for its current roster and future rotation.

Evans is known as a perimeter-oriented player from the college game, and the Knicks’ interest reflects a familiar theme for NBA front offices: measuring whether high-volume shooting and outside creation can translate to faster reads, tighter contests and more elaborate spacing schemes. A group workout setting, rather than one-on-one drills in a private session, typically gives teams a structured way to compare multiple prospects’ shot-making consistency, movement skills and decision-making with the same coaching framework.

For New York, the workout carries extra significance because it comes at a moment of active planning around the team’s draft capital. Begley’s report places the Knicks’ attention on how to best use the organization’s first three selections, specifically picks 24, 31 and 55, in next week’s draft. Rather than treating each pick as a standalone choice, teams often look for combinations that balance immediate impact, developmental upside, and how new players affect existing roles on the floor.

The Knicks have built their team identity around purposeful team offense and flexible guard play, which can make perimeter shooting particularly valuable. In a draft environment, the evaluation question often becomes less about whether a prospect can make shots in isolation and more about whether those shots can be generated in game situations, including off-ball action, catch-and-shoot opportunities created by teammates, and possessions where a defender closes out with a hand up but still must respect the rest of the offense.

Even with a workout invitation, Evans’ path to a Knicks roster is not predetermined. The next steps in the pre-draft cycle usually include additional team meetings, film review, private workouts when available, and interviews conducted through the league’s evaluation process. The fact that the Knicks brought him into a group workout suggests they wanted a clear comparative look at his skill set, but it does not indicate a specific draft position or guaranteed role.

With the draft approaching, what to watch next for Evans and New York is how the Knicks’ selection plan shapes the order of targets across their three picks. If the team chooses to prioritize shooting and backcourt depth with those selections, Evans could fit as a candidate whose perimeter skills align with the organization’s spacing needs. If New York instead leans toward other roster priorities, his positioning could shift even if the team remains interested.

For Duke, the workout also points to the visibility that prominent college prospects can receive once NBA teams refine their shortlists. For Knicks fans, it is another data point in a pre-draft process that will likely intensify as draft week nears, with the franchise weighing how each prospect’s strengths might translate to the roles available on opening night.