The Brooklyn Nets are heading into next season with a backcourt that already has a name, a look and a lot of buzz. Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin - the “Aura Bros” - are set to be central figures in what Hunter Patterson of The Athletic sees as a foundational year for the franchise.
That matters because Brooklyn is coming off a 20-62 season, third-worst in the NBA, and that record helped the team land Brown. But with the new lottery reform about to kick in, another finish near the bottom would come with a much harsher consequence. The Nets’ future, at least as it’s being shaped right now, depends on these two young guards growing into a real duo.
Dëmin has already given the organization plenty to feel good about. His rookie season ended in March because of plantar fasciitis, but the extra time turned into a productive offseason.
He spent it in the weight room, added muscle and looked stronger absorbing contact on drives. That showed up in summer league, where he was one of the standout players throughout the event.
In the California Classic opener against the Sacramento Kings, Dëmin put up 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting and added seven rebounds. His outside shot wasn’t falling - he went 2-for-8 from beyond the arc - but his ability to get to the rim kept the night from going sideways.
Across five games, he averaged 21.8 points while shooting 47.3%, a big jump from 39.9% last season. That performance earned him a spot on the All-Summer League Second Team.
Brown made his own case in Las Vegas. Nets summer league coach Dutch Gaitley asked him to score within the flow of the offense, and Brown responded by showing off the kind of two-way potential Brooklyn wants to build around.
The Louisville product knocked down catch-and-shoot looks, piled up easy transition points off turnovers and stayed active defensively. He worked through screens with precision, then turned possessions the other way with blocked shots and steals in passing lanes.
That level of versatility wasn’t what Brown was best known for in college, but he made real strides over the summer. And for a team that has already heard plenty of outside noise and low expectations, that’s the point. Brooklyn believes the “Aura Bros” can help change the conversation, and they’re a big part of the foundation general manager Sean Marks is trying to lay.
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