Nets Should See More from Nolan Traoré Following Egor Dёmin's Injury

Brooklyn's top pick from the 2025 NBA Draft will miss the remainder of the season, but that should provide more opportunities for another guard.

Mar 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore (88) celebrates his three point shot against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets picked up their second win in a row for the first time since early February, taking down the Memphis Grizzlies in a 126-115 home victory. In a high-scoring battle, they saw a relatively balanced scoring distribution while shooting 55% from the field and 52% from three.

While Day'Ron Sharpe led the Nets with 19 points, rookie Nolan Traoré was a standout player with 17 points, four assists and a block on 66.7% shooting from the field and 80% from beyond the arc. He did so in just 23 minutes.

Nolan Traore 17 Points, 4 Assists, 4 Threes full highlight vs Grizzlies I 25-26 NBA Season pic.twitter.com/q2X5b8v6aD

— Hoops Showtime (@HoopsShowtime12) March 10, 2026

The performance comes just after Brooklyn announced that fellow rookie Egor Dёmin would miss the rest of the season due to increased plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He is expected to return in the offseason and participate in the Nets' summer development program.

Dëmin was the most consistent and productive of Brooklyn's five rookies up to this point. The BYU product averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists on nearly 39% shooting from three across 52 games. He had been dealing with plantar fasciitis before the start of the regular season.

While the injury is certainly disappointing, the one positive is that this will provide more opportunities for other rookies, more specifically, Traoré. The French point guard has taken his game to new heights as of late, breaking out as a legitimate starter in late January.

Over his last 15 games, he has averaged 12.9 points, 5.2 assists and 1.1 steals on 45-39-77 shooting splits. Traoré has become not only a solid scorer but a major facilitator as well. His biggest strengths since entering the draft last year have been on full display, attacking the rim with a variety of finishes and operating as an initiator from the top of the key.

While Dёmin was more of a spot-up shooter, he was featured bringing up the ball for large periods of time. His absence will create more chances for Traoré, whose minutes have fluctuated despite increased production.

Sep 23, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guards Egor Demin (8) and Nolan Traore (88) speak at Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Some nights, head coach Jordi Fernández will let him run for 30 minutes or more. In other games, he won't crack 25. Things should start to even out for Traoré, meaning he'll be consistent in getting more playing time.

Dёmin's injury is certainly disheartening, but the Nets aren't playing to win games at 17-47. The goal to develop the youth, and even though one rookie went down, another will step up in his absence.