Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin had a solid rookie season last year as he displayed to shoot the three-pointer at a better level than many anticipated from him after his lone college season. Brooklyn took Demin with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft as the Nets believed in his potential and now, it's fair to wonder if this season will be when he breaks out.
"Egor Demin showcased the most promise of any Brooklyn Nets rookie last season. There were a lot of them," Greg Swartz wrote about Demin for Bleacher Report. Demin is one of the more interesting players on the Nets given his place within Brooklyn's rebuild and pundits like Swartz expect him to be able to show more of what he's capable of this upcoming season.
"Plantar fasciitis ended
his season prematurely, but Dëmin showed enough in his 52 games to earn a starting spot in the 2026-27 backcourt, even with this summer's No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. joining the fold," Swartz continued. "At 6'8", Dëmin can essentially play either guard position. He made 40.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. That was while playing with no true point guard and sharing the backcourt with a ball-dominant Cam Thomas. Now, with Brown and Julius Randle beside him, Dëmin should get more frequent and more open looks."
Demin, 20, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 38.5% from behind the three-point line in 52 games played. Demin followed up his first NBA season by getting in the weight room so that he could better absorb the physical play that the league can offer on a nightly basis.
This summer, Demin looked like he benefitted from the added bulk as he averaged 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 47.3% from the floor and 28.9% from deep. Brooklyn's offense will likely feature forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle, but if Demin is able to put it altogether, he could be the young player that breaks out the most for the Nets this season.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Will Nets' Egor Demin be the breakout candidate this NBA season?
