Brooklyn Nets’ Egor Demin Will be Team’s Biggest Wildcard

The Brooklyn Nets left with a record five prospects at the 2025 NBA Draft, and will move forward in developing each one for the foreseeable future.

The most volatile among the group was Egor Demin, the organization’s top pick at No. 8 overall. 

A jumbo guard at 6-foot-9, Demin didn’t have a sparkling five-star season for BYU, going for 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game for the Cougars. But still showed enough potential to warrant lottery looks, reportedly for plenty of teams.

The Nets went ahead and nabbed their guy in the top-10, drawing some criticism for “reaching.” Still, there were allegedly plenty of suitors for Demin, and the vision is still there for the skilled guard. Still, most of his value is just that: a vision.

Of all the players on Brooklyn’s roster, Demin is certainly the biggest wildcard. And that's saying something given the team's '25 draft.

Despite his clear feel for the game and play-making — some of the best in the ’25 class — Demin is still of the developmental mold. Moreso being drafted to become positively impactful in the future, rather than the short-term. Because of that, there’s little guarantee he blends seamless into the NBA early, especially given his athletic limitations. On the contrary, it’s highly likely he struggles mightily in the bigger, faster, stronger NBA.

Still, even in Summer League, Demin already showed some major improvement from his collegiate days. He averaged more points per game than his time at BYU at 11.3, and finished with blistering numbers from beyond the arc — 44% on a whopping 7.7 attempts per contest. All in all, he made the eighth-most 3-pointers per game among Summer Leaguers, a genuine feat given what was thought of his shooting going into the event.

While the odds are somewhat stacked against Demin to produce in Year 1, it's not out the question he's better than expected. And improvement of any kind could factor into the team's success.

The Nets aren't slated to win many games regardless of internal development, but Demin will certainly be the biggest factor. If he can provide legitimate passing and play-making, 3-point shooting and even a dash of downhill scoring, the Nets will be better than advertised.

For now, the Nets' organization and its fans wait for NBA preseason in October, where the team should roll out its shiny new group of rookies in some capacity. Brooklyn's preseason schedule has been released, starting with an Oct. 4 matchup against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem.