​Egor Dëmin looks like he spent the summer stocking up on VC—the virtual currency NBA 2K players use to boost a created star’s attributes, appearance, and animations. For the uninitiated, VC powers upgrades to a MyPLAYER’s attributes, cosmetics, and even the dunk package. Dëmin’s offseason has resembled a MyPLAYER build: boosted attributes, sharper cosmetics, and a newly unlocked dunk package. The hair is different, the fits sharper, and the frame appears stronger. Late in Monday’s Summer League win over the Golden State Warriors Blue squad, the Nets’ 6-foot-8 wing handled the ball and looked like he’d added a new dunk package too. He intercepted a pass, exploded to the open floor, and completed a windmill jam. He’s coming with a new vibe.
But the aura is only the surface. Brooklyn will benefit most from what lies beneath. Dëmin averaged 23 points, 7.5 rebounds, and three assists in 25.1 minutes across his first two Summer League appearances in 2026, shooting 55.6% from the floor. The numbers stand out, but the story behind them is more telling. In three Summer League games last year, he shot 1-for-4 on two-point attempts. Through two appearances this summer, he’s 11-for-12. That isn’t just a better percentage; it signals a new offensive profile and a shift in how he scores.
Dëmin’s rookie season largely quieted one long-standing concern: his shooting. He entered the NBA with questions about range, yet he finished his rookie year shooting 38.5% from three on a high volume. The next step was to determine whether he could do more than hang around as a floor spacer—whether he could drive, bully defenders who chase him off the line, and impose himself inside the arc. Thus far, he’s answered with force.
He’s used his size to slither downhill and his gravity from outside to threaten the paint. He’s looked more at ease taking mid-range jumpers and taking on smaller defenders in space. The player who once had to prove he could shoot now seems intent on proving that shooting isn’t the only way he can hurt a defense.
“Drives. A lot of drive, physicality,” Dëmin said after Saturday’s opener against the Sacramento Kings when asked about his focus this summer. “Obviously it was to keep working on my shot and defense, details like that.” He delivered on that promise. He scored 23 points against Sacramento, and followed it with another 23-point, eight-rebound, five-assist effort against the Golden State Warriors Blue. Through two summer appearances, he’s 15 of his first 27 shots overall, and his three-point rhythm hasn’t yet defined his impact, as he sits at 4-for-15 from deep. The Nets are comfortable with that trade-off because his package isn’t limited to one level.
Brooklyn has also put Dëmin into more complex actions. He’s screened, popped, slipped into space, and made reads on the short roll. Those looks place his size, shooting touch, and passing feel in the same possession, forcing defenders to make tougher choices. If you switch a smaller defender onto him, he can attack. If you give him space, he can shoot. If help comes, he can find the open man. That’s the exciting part for the Nets: Dëmin doesn’t have to fit one narrow role. His value lies in his versatility and his potential to be a legitimate threat in a variety of ways, making him dangerous in multiple lineups and schemes.
In the current landscape, that versatility is the strongest argument for Dëmin’s rising profile. He can be a proactive ball handler, a credible shooter, and a two-way contributor who can punish teams that collapse on him. The Nets aren’t asking him to be a one-trick scorer; they’re asking him to be a multifaceted threat who keeps defenses guessing. The development in his offensive toolkit—driving with authority, finishing through contact, mixing in mid-range attempts, and applying pressure as a passer—offers Brooklyn a player who can bend defenses rather than bend to a single assignment. If he continues to show that he can dent the rim on drives, mix in timely threes, and make smart reads in congested spaces, Dëmin will become a central figure in the Nets’ broader plans.
The rise isn’t just about the numbers or the flashes; it’s about what those numbers and moments convey about his growth trajectory. Dëmin’s arc suggests he’s moving beyond the confines of a traditional shooting forward who spaces the floor. He’s morphing into a more complete offensive player who can create for himself and others, at multiple levels of the floor. If he maintains the aggressive mentality he’s displayed this summer—driving relentlessly, using his physicality, and keeping defenses off balance with growing decision-making—he’ll be a problem for opponents and a pillar for Brooklyn’s long-term strategy.
In short, Dëmin’s summer looks like a conscious evolution: a player who is not only refining his shooting but expanding his game to leverage his size and skill in a broader spectrum of actions. The Nets’ confidence in his ability to handle more complicated reads and to translate off-ball gravity into on-ball creation has been rewarded with meaningful opportunities. If this trend continues, Dëmin will be more than a standout scorer in limited minutes; he’ll be a versatile, high-impact contributor who can tilt defenses and unlock Brooklyn’s offense in multiple ways.