NBA.com Identifies Biggest Question The Brooklyn Nets Must Answer Next Season

If the Nets want to achieve their goals next season, they'll need to answer this question.

Jan 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets face a lot of interesting questions entering next season.

How will Julius Randle fit in the starting lineup? Will Michael Porter Jr. be on the roster all season? And will the team finally put itself back in play-in conversations after brutal tanking seasons?

While all of those questions will be answered at some point, none of them is the most pressing one in Brooklyn, according to NBA.com. Writer John Schuhmann put together his Eastern Conference power rankings on Monday. He ranked the Nets at 14th, second-to-worst in the conference.

Schuhmann also named the biggest question each team must find an answer to next season. For the Nets, he identified a simple one: How good is Egor Dëmin?. Here’s what he had to say about it.

"But how good the Nets are in 2026-27 is not as important as how good they can be a few seasons from now, so it’s important that they hit on their Lottery picks from the last two drafts. Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr. combined to take 51 (60%) of their 85 Summer League shots from 3-point range, probably too high a rate given the former’s size and the latter’s explosiveness. Brown will need some time to find his way, but the time is now for Dëmin to take a big step forward and show that there’s a brighter future for this franchise."

John Schuhmann, NBA.com

Dëmin showed signs of stardom in last year's regular season. The former BYU Cougar averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, knocking down 38.5% of his three-pointers. The shooting from behind the arc was the most encouraging aspect of his game as a rookie. He had struggled with that aspect of his game in college.

He fully broke out a few weeks ago at the Summer League. He averaged 21.0 points and 4.3 assists per game across three games in Vegas. While the sample size is small, Dëmin looked like he was a class above everyone he played against. The Nets front office hopes that momentum can carry over into the regular season.

Dëmin and 2026 lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. form a very important backcourt that will carry the Nets into the future. As Schuhmann mentioned, this is a key season for Dëmin. If he can build on his rookie success and Summer League breakout, Brooklyn should be in very good hands with their guards. Dëmin will be a key player to watch when the regular season tips off in a few months.