The Brooklyn Nets are still sorting through the pieces of their rebuild, and the bigger question hanging over the roster is simple: who becomes the team’s best player in the near future?
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes has a clear early answer. He pegged guard Egor Demin as the player most likely to hold that title by 2029, with guard Mikel Brown Jr. also in the mix after Brooklyn selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft earlier this summer.
Hughes drew a line between the two young guards this way: "Brown is too much of a mystery to make him a responsible pick, while Demin shot 38.5 percent from deep last season and showed all the connective passing Brooklyn hoped for," Hughes wrote on the difference between Demin and Brown. "A Summer League performance that saw Demin flash rapidly developing on-ball skills and scoring chops inside the arc puts him over the top."
Demin’s summer only strengthened that case. The 20-year-old averaged 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 28.9% from behind the three-point line across five games between the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League.
Brown also put together a strong showing. In four games split between the Classic and Las Vegas, the 20-year-old averaged 15.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 38.8% from the floor and 34.6% from deep.
For now, the debate looks like it may come down to Demin or Brown. But based on Hughes’ read, Demin has the edge as Brooklyn’s most likely answer in the years ahead.
In Other News...
Nets Just Lost A Late Season Guard To A Division Rival
Malachi Smith has landed back in the Atlantic Division after leaving the Nets, signing a deal with the Toronto Raptors and putting his next opportunity a little closer to home. For Brooklyn, it is another reminder of how quickly the end-of-summer roster churn can reshape the back half of the bench, especially for players trying to turn a short run of games into something more stable.
Smiths stint with the Nets gave him a modest but useful sample, with 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 15 games last season. In Toronto, the deal appears to give him a real preseason path to fight for a roster spot, which is exactly the kind of opening players in his position are chasing at this stage of the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Are Expecting More Than Anyone Else Right Now
After an offseason that brought Julius Randle into the fold, there is already a noticeable split around Brooklyns outlook for next season. A NetsDaily poll showed that 56% of respondents think the team will land somewhere in the 30-to-39-win range, a level that would represent a meaningful step forward and keep the club in the mix for the play-in picture.
Around the league, though, the forecast is a lot less ambitious. Pundits and sportsbooks have been circling the Nets closer to the low-to-mid 20s, which is a much more cautious read on how quickly the roster can come together. The gap leaves Brooklyn in an interesting spot: fans are betting on a bigger jump, and if the team can get to 30 wins or more, the season starts to look very different. [Read more 🡒]
Former Nets Wing Just Gave Brooklyn Fans A Tough Reality Check
Ziaire Williams is back on the move, and this one stings a little for Nets fans who saw enough of him in Brooklyn to imagine a longer runway. The former Nets wing has signed a one-year veteran minimum deal with the Lakers, giving Los Angeles another low-cost option on the perimeter while setting Williams up for a fresh opportunity in a familiar-looking role.
For Brooklyn, it is another reminder of how quickly promising pieces can become elsewhere's role players, especially when they can help a contender without needing the ball much. Williams is expected to fill a three-and-D reserve job in Los Angeles and will reunite with former high school teammate Bronny James, who is entering his third season with the Lakers. [Read more 🡒]