Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Egor Demin stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the eighth pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Rookie Egor Demin Calls Playing for the Nets a ‘Dream Come True’

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI
By Tyler Carmona | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 9:00 AM ET

As Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Egor Demin prepares for his first NBA season, he'll have some pressure on his shoulders as the first draft pick of the team’s rebuilding phase.

But while having already experienced professional basketball overseas and having some college success should help him, as he may be expected to contribute immediately to a relatively young and inexperienced Nets squad.

Throughout the Nets' time in the Las Vegas Summer League, the organization's media team documented their first professional acclimation process in the Nets Generation YouTube series.

When asked about receiving the opportunity to play professional basketball in the United States, Demin mentioned that Brooklyn has felt like home since his first pre-draft workout with the team.*

"Its amazing. I love Brooklyn. I told them [Nets front office] that I would be back. And now I'm here,” Demin said. “Its a dream come true. It was a special moment of accomplishing your dreams from when you were a little kid.”

At just 19 years old, Demin enters the NBA with high expectations after having already played at the professional level for Real Madrid and making the Big 12 All-Freshman Team during his lone season at BYU.

During the 2024-2025 college basketball season, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.2% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc. That season, he set program records for total assists and most assists per game as a freshman. His 180 total assists were the sixth-highest single season total in program history.

While appearing in three Summer League games, Demin averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and one steal per game. His best game of the summer came against the Washington Wizards' Summer League team, when he scored 12 points while dishing out four assists and grabbing four rebounds.

According to Brooklyn’s Summer League head coach Steve Hetzel, Demin has adjusted to the professional level quite well.

“I think he’s doing a good job of handling everything that we give him. I wouldn't necessarily call it an experiment for him to be on the ball or off the ball. We don't really have a point guard," said Hetzel. "We have positions on the floor and we try to get to them."

As Hetzel mentioned, the Nets primarily played positionless basketball throughout the Summer League. While the team may not have a clear point guard heading into next season, Demin's previous success as a distributor and overall playmaker can make him a strong candidate to be this teams floor general of the future.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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