Evans, Veesaar Leave Millions in NIL Money on Table
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- Isaiah Evans and Henri Veesaar slipped into Day 2 territory in the 2026 NBA Draft after being viewed as potential first-round picks, a slide that may have cost both players millions in NIL earnings they gave up by leaving school early
- Veesaar had a reported NIL offer from North Carolina worth $3.5–4.5 million to return to the starting lineup, and could have earned close to $5 million if he had entered the transfer portal
- Evans sat in the green room throughout Tuesday night's first round but was never called, wearing approximately $4 million in jewelry — including a $3 million broach and $1 million wallet chain — reportedly more than he is guaranteed to earn as a rookie
- Veesaar acknowledged at the NBA combine that the college money was 'tempting' but said 'getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn,' comparing it to his experience joining Real Madrid's program at age 15
- Evans averaged 15 points per game as a Duke sophomore and Veesaar posted career-best numbers of 17.1 points and 8.7 rebounds as a 7-foot, fourth-year transfer from Arizona
- Had Evans returned to Duke for his junior year, he would have entered as a featured star on an expected powerful roster with a chance to boost his 2027 draft stock while cashing in on a lucrative NIL package
Why it matters: Veesaar's reported $3.5–4.5 million North Carolina offer, plus the roughly $4 million Evans wore to the draft in jewelry, illustrates how top NIL packages now rival or exceed what second-round NBA rookies are guaranteed — meaning early entrants who haven't locked in first-round money are gambling millions by declaring, and the slide-to-Day-2 outcome is precisely the scenario that makes staying in school the better business decision.
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