Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin has already shown one skill that caught people off guard in his rookie year: the three-ball. The question now is what comes next. The Nets have spent time looking for more than just long-range shooting from Demin, and while he flashed a fuller game in summer league, plenty around the league still want to see it carry over once the games count.
That hesitation showed up in HoopsHype’s latest projections. In its ranking of the projected top-27 shooting guards for the 2026-27 season, Demin was left off entirely, even outside the three players who just missed the cut. Those near-misses were Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers, Aaron Wiggins of the Atlanta Hawks, and Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors.
Demin, 20, put together a strong summer circuit in Brooklyn, especially when it came to doing more than just scoring from deep. Across five games between the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, he averaged 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He shot 47.3% from the field and 28.9% from three.
HoopsHype has already rolled out projected top-27 lists for point guards and shooting guards heading into next season, and Brooklyn’s projected starting backcourt still hasn’t cracked the top 30. Demin appears lined up at shooting guard, while Mikel Brown Jr. is expected to handle point guard if he performs well in camp and the preseason.
The broader outlook around the Nets helps explain the skepticism. Brooklyn is expected to be one of the league’s worst teams next season, and that naturally leaves a lot of people wondering which players can rise above that forecast in a stronger Eastern Conference. Still, this is only a projection, and Demin has plenty of runway to prove he belongs in that top-27 conversation by season’s end.
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Julius Randle Just Became Brooklyns Biggest Rebuild Test
The Nets summer overhaul brought a new centerpiece to Brooklyn, and it comes with both rsum and responsibility. Julius Randle arrived from Minnesota in the deal that sent Nic Claxton to Chicago, giving Jordi Fernandez a proven veteran forward to help shape what comes next. Fernandez has already sounded upbeat about what Randle can bring, and the fit is easy to understand for a team trying to reset its direction without losing sight of competitiveness.
Randle, who posted 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last season with the Timberwolves, has also made it clear he is eager for the change of scenery. He spoke about joining the Nets during Las Vegas Summer League, which only adds to the sense that this is more than a simple roster move. For Brooklyn, the question now is whether Randle becomes the stabilizing force of a rebuild or the player around whom the next hard decisions get made. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Draft Class Enters Camp With Brooklyn Facing Real Pressure
Brooklyns summer was defined as much by opportunity as by uncertainty, with the Nets using the 2025 NBA Draft to add five first-round picks while trying to keep one eye on the present and another on the future. The franchise is heading toward the 2026-27 season with a clear mandate to win and develop younger players, and that balance puts extra weight on this first wave of newcomers as camp approaches.
Egor Demin has drawn the most attention so far, thanks to his summer league showing, but he is hardly the only rookie under scrutiny. Around the league, the early read on Brooklyns draft class has been mixed, and the front offices approach has sparked debate for the same reason: several of these players will have to earn their place quickly if they want real minutes once training camp gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Nets May Have One Overlooked Edge In Their Push Up East
Brooklyns reset has brought in some new names, and Julius Randle is one of the additions that could quietly matter the most as the Nets try to push higher in the East. The roster is still taking shape with Mikel Brown Jr. among the fresh pieces, but Randles ability to get into the paint and draw contact gives the Nets a different kind of pressure point on offense than they had a year ago.
Free throws were already a decent part of Brooklyns profile last season, when the team ranked 16th in accuracy and 18th in attempts while shooting 78 percent from the line. If Randle can consistently create more trips there, it gives the Nets a built-in way to squeeze extra points out of games where half-court possessions matter most, which is exactly the kind of edge that can help in a crowded conference. [Read more 🡒]