The Nets rookie represents the future of Brooklyn. But his recent appearance at a certain New York event could persuade a big NBA Draft move for Brooklyn.
Egor Demin ignited some pre-NBA Draft chatter during the week of Dec. 8. All thanks to an appearance at a certain event taking place near his Brooklyn Nets home.
Demin traded the Nets colors for BYU ones -- all to watch potential teammate AJ Dybansta.
Demin pulled into the Madison Square Garden for a rare college basketball game, including one that didn't involve St. John's basketball. He proudly wore a BYU letterman's jacket, ready to support what many believe is the top overall pick for next season's draft.
The Nets big got treated to a stellar performance from Dybansta: Dropping 28 points in just 34 minutes of play. He nearly delivered a double-double after collecting nine rebounds while dishing out six assists. More important, the freshman led his Cougars to the 67-64 win over Clemson...one that saw BYU erase a massive deficit.
BYU trailed by 22 at one point before the Cougars trusted the 6-foot-9 wing player a lot more. Demin couldn't help but stand and cheer for an almost BYU teammate of his.
The 19-year-old native of Moscow, Russia left Provo early to test the league draft waters. He eventually landed at No. 8 overall to the Nets. He arrived to Brooklyn fresh off earning All-Freshman Team honors in the Big 12 conference. He also had a brief stint with Real Madrid in Spain during 2023 before giving the NCAA a try.
Before Dybansta, Demin made history as BYU's first five-star signing in the era of recruiting rankings. He went on to average 10.6 points per game with 5.5 assists per contest. He guided BYU to a 26-10 overall mark that featured taking down VCU and Wisconsin to advance into the Sweet 16 of March Madness. Alabama ended Demin's truncated CBB run by winning 113-88 in the East regional semifinal round.
Dybansta is hitting 20.3 points a night. He's also grabbing an average of six rebounds a game. Demin and Dybansta collaborating together certainly sparks big intrigue among Nets fans who hope the franchise land a lottery pick.
But Demin wasn't the only Nets representative attending the MSG game. Even general manager Sean Marks took in the action -- getting an early look at who to draft come June of 2026. Marks was one of multiple NBA executives who saw the New York showcase game.
Brooklyn is 6-17 overall with the Eastern Conference's third-worst record in the league. Only the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards have more losses. But Demin's support of Dybansta is igniting the idea of the BYU star potentially convincing the Nets' brass to put the new Cougars star at the top of the draft board.