Report: Nets Blocked Thunder’s Push for Egor Demin

When the reigning champs’ general manager targets the same player you pick, it’s a sign the right decision may have been made.

According to NBA insider Billy Reinhardt, a member of Demin's camp (Travis Hansen) explained that Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti was quite fond of Brooklyn Nets top draft pick Egor Demin.

"Travis Hansen adds that OKC was very much interested in Egor Demin and tried getting him last night. Hansen says Sam Presti even had Demin over to his home in the pre-draft process," said Reinhardt. "As I posted yesterday, Demin is a typical Presti pick."

During his lone season at BYU, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals while playing 27.5 minutes per game.

While he won’t wow you with dynamic athleticism, he’s a well-rounded player who consistently makes his presence felt on the stat sheet. Against No. 19 Arizona, he scored 13 points and dished out 8 assists, then followed that with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in a win over West Virginia.

As a 6-foot-9- and 190-pound guard, he possesses unique coordination and exceptional court vision, which helps make him an effective passer, especially for a player his size.

In a scouting report put together by Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor, he praised Demin's abilities as a distributor.

"Demin is a fluid ball-handler for his size with the height to see over defenders and the vision to make any pass," O'Connor said. "He puts velocity on his passes and delivers them with accuracy. It’s a natural skill for him, the way he works to manipulate defenders and then seamlessly fires creative passes off the dribble."

While he was a productive player on the court throughout his time at BYU, he was also praised by his coaches and teammates for being a prepared and high-character individual.

“I love him. He’s special," said BYU assistant coach John Linehan. "I’ve been able to be around some special players in my coaching [career] with Anthony Edwards and some other guys. I’m not saying (Egor) ‘s on that level, but his passion for wanting to get better and living in the gym and just competing, watching film, those things like that are high-level.”