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By Anne Erickson
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The Nets are still very much in the middle of building their next contender, which means opportunity is everywhere.
Young players aren't just competing for minutes. They're competing to become part of Brooklyn's foundation. That's what makes Egor Demin such an interesting player to watch heading into 2026.
Demin looked like a different player during Summer League. Truly.
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After earning All-Summer League Second Team honors by averaging 21.0 points and 4.3 assists per game, he showed far more confidence attacking the basket. There was a noticeable jump in his physicality, and it opened up parts of his offensive game that simply weren't there a year ago. That's exactly the kind of growth the Nets were hoping to see.
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The scoring stands out, but it wasn't just about putting points on the board. Demin looked comfortable making decisions with the ball, creating opportunities for teammates and playing with the kind of confidence that often comes after a full season of learning the NBA game. Sometimes the biggest leap happens when the game finally starts to slow down, and that certainly appeared to be the case.
Of course, Brooklyn's future doesn't rest on one player alone. Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. will also have plenty of attention as he steps into a major role. His scoring ability and playmaking give the Nets another exciting young piece to develop, and there's every reason to believe he'll have the ball in his hands early and often.
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Still, Demin feels like the player who could surprise the most.
The expectations are a little different in Year 2. Fans have already seen the flashes. Now they want consistency, confidence and the kind of production that carries over when the games actually count. If his Summer League performance was any indication, Demin looks ready to answer that challenge.
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