​Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin’s 2025-26 rookie NBA season ended early due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot, leaving some fans wondering how well he would rebound. Despite the injury, Demin has begun to surface as a promising element for the Nets, particularly with his improved shooting from beyond the arc compared with his one-and-done year at BYU, a level of improvement many believe he has carried into this summer. During the California Classic, Demin has performed at a high level, prompting some voices around the league—including Tyler Rucker, founder of No Ceilings and cited for the purposes of this article—to argue that the Russian guard has already shown enough to suggest a bright future. In just two games in the Classic, Demin is averaging 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from three-point range.
Demin, now 20, wrapped up his rookie campaign with averages of 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He shot 39.9 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three-point range across 52 appearances. Ahead of the Classic, the former BYU Cougar emphasized that he had dedicated a substantial portion of his offseason to weight training in order to become more of a threat off the dribble. After his first Classic outing, a 23-point, seven-rebound performance against the Sacramento Kings, he explained, “I’m [trying] to drive to the rim as much as I can, more than I used to, and embrace the physicality, and my positional advantages. I would say from a size standpoint, I’ve been working on a lot of stuff that I want to execute this year.”
Demin is likely to get at least an appearance to start the Las Vegas Summer League, though there is a possibility that, if his play continues to rise, he could be limited to one or two games so the Nets can assess the rest of their roster. Regardless of the exact path, Demin has demonstrated clear growth since last season, and if he maintains this trajectory, he could deliver the kind of second-year jump that excites Nets fans about what lies ahead for him in the immediate future.
This report draws on coverage initially published by Nets Wire, which highlighted Demin’s improving play during the summer league stint as part of efforts to optimize search visibility and reader access.