Once viewed as potential first-round picks, Duke’s Isaiah Evans and North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar have slipped into Day 2 territory during the 2026 NBA Draft, a costly tumble that may have both players rethinking their decisions to leave school early. By exiting their respective ACC programs after the season, Evans and Veesaar likely walked away from massive NIL opportunities that could have paid them more in college than their early professional contracts will as likely second-round selections.
Evans averaged 15 points per game for the Blue Devils as a sophomore starter while Veesaar, a 7-footer and fourth-year transfer from Arizona, was a force down low for the Tar Heels with a career-best 17.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest.
North Carolina reportedly had a massive NIL contract on the table for Veesaar, who would have been positioned to be the Preseason ACC Player of the Year in 2026-27. He had the option to return to the Tar Heels during the combine, but did not have a change of heart.
Sources told CBS Sports that Veesaar had an offer at North Carolina between $3.5-4.5 million to return to the starting lineup and would have gotten close to $5 million if he entered the transfer portal, given the high demand for difference-making college basketball centers this cycle.
“Obviously, it’s tempting,” Veesaar said during the NBA combine this summer. “Like, there’s a lot of money being thrown around in college. It’s another year of going to school, being able to get ready for the NBA, but honestly getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn. I had that as a freshman in college. I feel like I had the same one as going to Real Madrid when I was 15. You kind of get thrown in the practice with players that are older than you, better than you, more experienced than you. So you learn a lot quicker.”
2026 NBA Round 2 mock draft: Henri Veesaar, Meleek Thomas, Isaiah Evans go early in second round predictions
Adam Finkelstein
Nearly an early NBA Draft entry after his freshman season at Duke, Evans returned to school as a former five-star signee to work on his craft under Jon Scheyer. His shooting percentages went down a touch with a higher volume of attempts during his second campaign, but Evans transformed into one of the Blue Devils‘ most reliable offensive weapons.
Evans’ deal, per sources close to Duke, was comparable to Veesaar, though not as high.
Rookie salaries by NBA Draft selection
Here’s a glance at the projected total contract values and rookie season salaries for first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, via Spotrac:
Pick No.
Total contract value
Rookie salary
1
$69,003,336
$15,208,560
2
$61,754,203
$13,607,400
3
$55,482,355
$12,219,840
4
$50,035,729
$11,017,320
5
$45,330,803
$9,976,800
6
$41,183,243
$9,061,440
7
$37,612,922
$8,272,080
8
$34,474,684
$7,578,120
9
$31,704,992
$6,965,760
10
$30,125,362
$6,617,640
11
$28,980,481
$6,286,680
12
$27,867,300
$5,972,520
13
$26,791,235
$5,673,720
14
$25,761,857
$5,390,400
15
$24,763,972
$5,120,520
16
$23,532,928
$4,864,560
17
$22,364,820
$4,621,200
18
$21,257,017
$4,390,440
19
$20,310,173
$4,192,680
20
$19,503,712
$4,024,680
21
$18,942,247
$3,863,760
22
$18,396,395
$3,709,440
23
$17,864,614
$3,561,240
24
$17,346,930
$3,418,920
25
$16,839,371
$3,281,640
26
$16,287,511
$3,173,040
27
$15,822,480
$3,081,360
28
$15,727,868
$3,062,280
29
$15,613,602
$3,040,320
30
$15,500,706
$3,018,240
For Evans, falling out of the first round was a surprise given his placement this cycle among combo guards. He patiently waited in the green room during Tuesday night’s first round, but never got the call to trot out on the main stage despite sporting a custom suit and reportedly $4 million in jewelry — more than he’s guaranteed to make as a rookie — to celebrate the occasion.
Another season at Duke under Scheyer, given the Blue Devils’ expected powerful roster, would’ve likely been the better business decision for Evans. He would’ve entered his junior season as one of Duke’s featured stars with an opportunity to dramatically increase his draft stock while cashing in on a lucrative NIL package.
Instead, Evans is headed to the NBA with more questions than answers after sliding further down draft boards than many expected. One more year under the spotlight at Duke could’ve meant millions more in NIL earnings and a much stronger position entering the 2027 draft cycle, the same situation that’s unfolding for Veesaar.
