Egor Dëmin may not be the loudest storyline in Brooklyn this fall, but he is the one that matters most. The Nets can talk about Julius Randle’s debut, Michael Porter Jr.’s uncertain future and the pressure on rookie Mikel Brown Jr., yet the real hinge point for the franchise sits with a player already in the building.
That’s the case John Schuhmann made when he labeled Dëmin Brooklyn’s biggest question for next season: “How good is Egor Dëmin?” It’s a fair question, because the Nets’ rebuild won’t be judged just by the standings. It will be judged by whether the young core turns into real foundation pieces, and Dëmin is right in the middle of that group.
The rookie year gave Brooklyn reasons to believe. Selected in the lottery in the 2025 NBA Draft, the former BYU standout averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists while hitting 38.5% of his three-pointers.
That number matters. Shooting was one of the biggest question marks in his game after he made just 27.3% of his threes in college, so that kind of jump was an encouraging sign.
Then he went to Summer League and looked even sharper. In three games in Las Vegas, Dëmin put up 21.0 points and 4.3 assists per game and played with a confidence that stood out every time he hit the floor. The production matched the eye test: he looked like one of the best players out there.
Still, there’s more in him.
The next step is figuring out how his perimeter shooting fits with the rest of his game. In Summer League, he and Brown took 60% of their shots from beyond the arc. Dëmin has already shown he can punish open looks, but his size, vision and feel point to a player who can do much more than just stretch the floor.
Randle’s arrival should help open things up, too. With another proven scorer on the roster, defenses can’t key on Dëmin the same way, which should create cleaner chances to attack closeouts and work as a secondary playmaker. It also means he should be able to pick his spots more naturally instead of having to force the issue.
Brooklyn doesn’t need a leap into All-Star territory right away. It needs growth. If Dëmin can build on what he flashed in Summer League and keep becoming a more complete offensive player, the Nets will have a much better idea that they’ve found one of the central pieces of the rebuild.
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