Egor Demin Facing Pivotal Second Season for Brooklyn Nets

The young guard's career could be shaped by what happens over the next several months.

Feb 26, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) warms up before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets have some intriguing young prospects, and one of their most promising rookies from last season has a critical second year ahead.

Last season, the Nets were firmly in the midst of a rebuild. Having been near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings the year prior and bringing in five rookies via first-round picks, the Nets again finished near the bottom of the standings but had plenty of storylines to follow.

One of the most notable storylines from last season was the emergence of rookie guard Egor Demin. The Nets’ lone lottery pick from their large 2025 draft class, Demin becoming the Nets’ top rookie performer wasn’t surprising, but the way he emerged leaves some questions for next season.

Coming into his rookie year, there were several concerns about Demin’s game and how it would translate to the NBA. Perhaps the most notable concern was his 3-point shot, but it didn’t take long for him to brush those off.

After a season at BYU where he nailed 27.3% of his outside shots, Demin made a splash at the NBA level, nailing 38.5% of his looks from deep range. Given that over half of his shots at BYU came from beyond the arc, Demin’s NBA 3-point attempt rate didn’t come as much of a surprise.

Last season, 6.2 of Demin’s 8.6 shots per game came from long range, making up 71.7% of his shots. While his lack of games played didn’t qualify him for NBA leaderboards, his 3-point attempt rate would’ve slotted in at 15th in the league.

Although there are some exceptions, the overwhelming majority of players at the top of that leaderboard play almost exclusively off-ball. Although a high 3-point attempt rate that comes with a good 3-point percentage is generally a positive, it also brings into question the effectiveness of Demin, who was one of Brooklyn’s top ball handlers last season.

With Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and Mikel Brown Jr. surely set to have the ball in their hands for Brooklyn frequently next season, Demin’s playstyle and role at the NBA level should become much clearer. Considering over 80% of Demin’s 3-point makes last season were assisted, he’s already shown he can be effective as an off-ball shooter.

Still, Brooklyn anticipated Demin would be a much more potent on-ball threat when he came into the league, and with more competition for touches next season, year two could shape how the young guard’s career progresses.