Timberwolves linked to playmaking guard in latest NBA mock draft

We have officially entered draft week, and our friends over at NBA Draft on SI released an updated mock draft on Sunday morning. The Timberwolves are slated to take BYU guard Egor Demin with the 17th overall pick with their latest projections.

Standing at 6-foot-9, Demin is one of the most fascinating prospects in this year's draft. Hailing from Moscow, Russia, he opted to come to America and play one season of college basketball at BYU and he won't turn 20 years old until next March.

He was the Cougars' lead guard as a true freshman, averaging 10.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season. He spent most of his time at the point guard position, and his abnormal size makes him a unique projection at the next level.

Most mock drafts throughout the pre-draft process have slotted him in the lottery, but his 41.2% shooting from the field and 27.3% mark from beyond the arc last season raise some questions about his potential to immediately contribute to an NBA rotation.

Minnesota has a unique outlook at the point guard position with Mike Conley Jr. aging rapidly, and Rob Dillingham entering his second season. Do the Wolves trust Dillingham to seamlessly replace Conley, or do they add another option into the fold? Their 2025 postseason run showed they could use more playmaking alongside Anthony Edwards, and Demin could provide that.

ESPN's latest prospect rankings have Demin as the 11th-best player in the draft, so it might be more likely he could already be off the board by the time Minnesota picks at No. 17, but they could package their 31st pick to move up a few spots for Demin.

Once the Kevin Durant trade domino officially falls, it seems like this year's offseason could become crazy, but Demin is an interesting player to look out for at this week's draft.