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After being drafted eighth overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2025 NBA Draft, Egor Demin had an uneven rookie season. Standing 6-foot-8, he played point guard for the BYU Cougars during his lone season in college basketball but had to shift into a more off-ball role with the Nets, as they drafted five ball-handlers in the 2025 first round.
Demin's game looked a lot different than it did at BYU, as he averaged just 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. His three-point shot, which was a major question mark coming out of college, was the weapon that he used the most, firing up over six of his eight shot attempts from deep. He was largely successful, connecting on 38.5%, but he ultimately wasn't showing all of his skillset.
At 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Demin showcased his full skillset to the max, averaging 21.0 points and 4.3 assists per game in three contests before being shut down by the Nets. He was clearly too good for summer league, as he scored with complete ease.
ESPN gave Demin the superlative of being the "Best Sophomore" during summer league.
"Boy, has the switch flipped for Demin, who was a timid and largely ineffective rookie for the rebuilding Nets," ESPN's Ben Golliver wrote. "The Russian guard failed to make the most of his 6-foot-8 size last season, hanging out behind the 3-point line and rarely scoring at the rim. Demin, 20, looked like a completely different and much more complete player this summer: He attacked off the dribble with greater regularity, finished in traffic and made good, assertive decisions as a playmaker. The Nets desperately need some of their recent draft picks to emerge as difference-makers, and Demin took a nice step in that direction by averaging 21.0 points and 4.3 assists in three Las Vegas exhibitions."
If the former Cougar can keep up this confident, at times physical style of play during the 2026-27 regular season in Brooklyn, he'll be well on his way to becoming a future NBA All-Star and continuing to put himself in the pantheon of great BYU hoopers in the league.
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This article originally appeared on BYU Cougars Wire: Former BYU star Egor Demin leveled up at 2026 NBA Summer League
