When the Brooklyn Nets used the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select BYU guard Egor Demin, it raised a few eyebrows across the league. With big names like Tre Johnson and Jeremiah Fears still on the board, some questioned whether the Nets had reached. But here we are, deep into Demin’s rookie season, and that pick is starting to look a whole lot smarter.
According to a recent redraft analysis, even with hindsight, the Nets still walk away with Demin at No. 8.
That says a lot about how his game has translated to the NBA-and how much his stock has risen since draft night. The biggest reason?
His shooting. Demin has gone from a shaky 27.3% three-point shooter at BYU to a legitimate deep threat in the pros, hitting nearly 40% from beyond the arc.
That’s not just improvement-that’s a transformation.
Through his first NBA campaign, Demin is averaging 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He’s shooting 40.6% from the field and a scorching 39.6% from three.
And those numbers have only gotten better as the season’s gone on. Since December, he’s bumped that up to 12.1 points per game while maintaining elite efficiency-41.9% shooting from both the field and from downtown.
The Nets clearly had a vision when they drafted Demin. They were targeting playmakers, and Demin fit that mold.
In fact, they doubled down on that archetype, using multiple first-round picks to chase versatile guards who can handle the ball and stretch the floor. Demin may not be dominating the highlight reels with flashy passes just yet, but he’s finding his niche-and it’s working.
One notable development is Demin’s shift into more of an off-ball role. While many scouts pegged him as a potential primary initiator coming out of college, he’s found success playing alongside Nolan Traore, who’s emerging as Brooklyn’s point guard of the future. That adjustment has allowed Demin to focus on spacing the floor, making smart cuts, and knocking down open looks-things he’s doing with increasing confidence.
The redraft also reflects a bit of a reshuffling in the top 10. Guards like Tre Johnson and Jeremiah Fears have slid slightly, while forwards Kon Knueppel and Cedric Coward have surged thanks to strong rookie performances for Charlotte and Memphis, respectively. But Demin holding steady at No. 8 speaks volumes about his development and the Nets’ ability to identify a player who fits their system.
It’s still early in his career, but Egor Demin is already showing signs that he belongs. The shooting leap alone has made him a valuable piece of Brooklyn’s young core.
And if the playmaking starts to catch up to the shooting? The Nets might have landed a gem-one that’s proving the doubters wrong, one three-pointer at a time.