Egor Demin wasted no time reminding everyone why the Brooklyn Nets took him eighth overall.
A year after his selection came as something of a surprise - most projections had the former BYU standout going five to 10 picks later - Demin opened summer league by looking every bit like a player who already belongs. In Brooklyn’s 2026 summer league debut against the Sacramento Kings at the California Classic, he led the Nets with 23 points on 8 of 15 shooting and added seven rebounds.
The Nets came up short, 79-76, after Kings guard Nique Clifford buried the game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds left. But in summer league, the scoreboard is secondary. The real takeaway was Demin’s performance, and he delivered one that fit the moment.
That’s especially notable because Demin didn’t exactly need this stage to make a case for himself. His rookie season was limited to 52 games because of injury, but he still put up 10.3 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. Even more eye-catching, he shot 38.5% from 3-point range, a number that stood well above anything he had previously shown at any level.
So yes, there’s a fair argument that Demin could have sat out summer league entirely. Instead, he showed up and played like a guy intent on taking the next step.
After the game, Demin said his mindset was tied to embracing a bigger voice with the team.
“I don’t want to say pressure of being a leader, but kind of embracing the role of a guy who’s been a year in the NBA already,” he said. “I want to take that role on myself coming here and lead the team mentally on the bench and on the court as well.”
Sacramento rookie Darius Acuff Jr., the seventh pick in this year’s draft, led all scorers with 25 points. But Demin’s night still stood out, and the buzz around it followed quickly.
One post highlighted his line - “23 PTS,” “8-15 FG,” “7 REB” - while another pointed to a bucket where he got Darius Acuff switched onto him. A third noted that his handle “definitely looks better.”
For one summer league opener, that was enough to tell the story: Demin looked comfortable, productive and ready for more.
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LJ Martin, Bruce Mitchell, Faletau Satuala and Cade Uluave were among the headline names, while Evan Johnson also earned first-team recognition and Bear Bachmeiers rise continued to draw notice after his freshman breakout. Uluaves path is especially notable after arriving from Cal, and the broader haul leaves BYU looking like a team with proven pieces and plenty of national respect, even before a snap is played. [Read more 🡒]