Egor Demin is making a case in Brooklyn, and the Nets appear ready to see how far it can go.
Through training camp and preseason, Demin has shown enough to suggest he can matter at either guard spot, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. That flexibility has been part of the message from the start, and Demin says he has been telling Jordi Fernández and the staff exactly how he sees himself fitting in.
“I think back to last year in summer league - and even before that on the predraft when I was in the workout with Brooklyn - I’ve been saying at all times to Jordi [Fernández ] and the other coaches that I’m seeing myself as a very versatile player in the future and that I want to be anywhere I can benefit the team,” Dëmin said. “I’m a winner, so I want to win as much as I can.
If that means for me to have 25 assists and five points, or whatever that means for me, I want to win first. Working on certain things helps to be even more versatile, whether I’m off or on the ball.
And that’s the goal, for sure, is being everywhere and being able to be everywhere. You look at LeBron [James], he can play from 1-through-5.”
Fernández says the rookie looks like a different player now than he did during an uneven first season.
“You just can see how much he’s improved already from last year,” he said. “I probably wanted him to be a little bit more aggressive shooting 3s, but his willingness to get everybody involved is showing. … His voice is growing, so it’s very important.”
Across town, the Knicks are dealing with a different kind of reality. Mike Vaccaro wrote that the team’s decision to pause extension talks is a reminder of the league’s financial limits, and that the freeze includes Karl-Anthony Towns and three other players.
Vaccaro noted that a huge extension for Towns is not automatic, pointing out that he would be 32 when it begins. The days of easy sentimental payouts, he added, are over in the NBA.
Miles McBride is another extension-eligible Knick who has reason to be frustrated. He had already said he was disappointed with the lack of movement in talks, and Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reported that league sources believe McBride could get $15-20MM per year on the open market. McBride will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
There is also some experimentation underway in Brooklyn’s frontcourt. The Nets have other center options, but they are looking at small-ball lineups with Julius Randle in the middle. Randle said he has already spoken with Fernández about playing some small-ball five and added, “that’s what preseason is for,” Lewis tweets.
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Egor Demin Is Giving The Nets A Reason To Watch Closely
Egor Demin has already given the Nets a little something to monitor as the season takes shape, and it starts with the way he talks about his role. The young guard-forward has made clear he wants to help in whatever way the team needs, whether that means handling the ball or working alongside another creator, and he has framed his approach around winning rather than chasing numbers. For a Brooklyn group still sorting through its long-term pieces, that kind of flexibility is exactly the sort of trait that can make a prospect stand out.
Coach Jordi Fernndez has noticed the progress, too, pointing to how much Demin has improved since last year and how his voice is starting to carry more weight. That matters for a Nets team looking for players who can grow into bigger responsibilities without needing everything scripted for them. Demin is not the only young player around the league drawing attention for versatility, but in Brooklyn, his development has started to feel like one of the more relevant storylines to keep an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
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For now, though, Nets fans are still waiting for their first real look at him in game action. Brown Jr. has been recovering from a rolled ankle, and his participation in the upcoming preseason game is uncertain, which leaves his debut on hold a little longer than anyone around the team probably hoped. The anticipation is part of the process with a young guard like this, but Brooklyn would like to start seeing the shape of what it drafted, especially with preseason opportunities beginning to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rebuild Still Hinges On One Risk Fans Will Feel Early
The Nets head into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks very much like a rebuilding team still learning on the fly, blending a handful of established names with a wave of players just getting their NBA footing. Julius Randle, Keon Ellis and Mo Wagner give Brooklyn some needed ballast, but the bigger story is the sheer amount of inexperience surrounding them, which can speed up the future just as easily as it can expose the rough edges of it.
Brooklyns front office has clearly leaned into the long view, and the early months of the season figure to show how much patience that approach will require. With so many first- and second-year players on the roster, the Nets are banking on development to outweigh the usual growing pains, but the balance between progress and pain is exactly what will make this group worth watching from the start. [Read more 🡒]