Egor Demin, Nolan Traore & Danny Wolf Post-Draft Press Conferences | 2025 NBA Draft

Egor Demin, Nolan Traore & Danny Wolf Post-Draft Press Conferences | 2025 NBA Draft

first of all congratulations on getting drafted and everything like that don’t have to go very far obviously going to be playing home games in this building can you talk about uh the reputation the Nets have have gotten over the last couple years for development and things like that what is it going to be like now to be a part of that here in New York City in Brooklyn
obviously for me it’s a great opportunity to be in a team where I I will be able to develop myself and also impact the game uh in the ways I can right and just learn a lot uh from the guys who’s already in the team from the coaching staff from the front office and that’s a historical club historical organization right and obviously it’s a lot related to Russia in past uh a lot of Russian players were going through this organization and for me it’s an honor to be a part of nets
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Jaggor um in your visits with the Nets how much did you get to know head coach Jordi Fernandez and then kind of beyond that How I don’t know cool is it to get to you know international coach a Spanish coach right you have a Spanish playing in Spanish background and you know how can that kind of help you in your development in the league
yeah the workout was amazing it was a great group of guys I was practicing with and obviously having all these coaches around uh it was a great experience and obviously we talked uh a little bit with the coach with the other uh guys from the front office after the workout and it was great to get to get to know them and see how they think right how they how they see me potentially coming to this team and just being an NBA player first row on the right
hey Ryan Lewis from the New York Post welcome to New York
thank you uh you’ve been described by some as possibly the best passing teenager on the whole planet uh but also a guy whose jumper is going to be kind of the swing skill that determines what his NBA future is like uh do you agree with that assessment and I mean in your mind what are the things that you think you bring to a team and that you need to improve upon uh I’ll start uh from the start right obviously the the passing is something that I was always doing and this is who I am this is who I’m trying to be i believe into the game of basketball as a as a create creative place where you it’s like an art for me right and I want to play beautiful i want to play pretty i want to play efficient and for me there is never a sacrifice of something you know sacrifice of myself for the team or something like this it’s about making a right decision which I’m always trying to do uh talking about shooting uh it’s definitely something that obviously a lot of people talk about and as you said it can it can be both sides good or bad for me I have no doubt I’m going to be a solid shooter and I’m seeing myself as a as a really good shooter in the future just because I know how much I put into this how much how much I put into the work uh to become one
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hi Reagan Lighting ESPN um we did see you reach um talk about recently how you would see fans from Russia watching you on television everything like that as an international player how do you feel that what what does it mean to international players to have that support system from their hometown or home country to continue watching you guys regardless of wherever you’re at
i mean that’s amazing you know for me I lived in three different countries i played it for three different teams and three different countries with different teammates different cultures different coaches it’s it’s super different but at the same time again as you said uh the love is the same and you know it’s great to see that there’s people from Russia who’s supporting me and following me same as people from Spain and same as people from America right and for me it’s a big honor to be known right because this is somewhere I was trying to get as a little kid coming from Russia I was trying always to be an NBA player and as I said just feeling this love and support from all the places I’ve been through that’s a big honor for me and I’m I’m nothing but gratitude third row on the right
Ben Couch NBA.com eagor you know coming off your international experience what was it that attracted you about playing in the American college system and how do you think that’s positioned you for this rise into the top 10 i would say the adjustment uh from the youth level in Europe and European basketball to playing an American style of game against older guys against more athletes a faster game a faster I’m saying faster pace right in general obviously Big 12 it’s one of the strongest conferences right and playing against teams like Houston Iowa State Arizona Baylor Kansas wherever it is right uh every game was close for us and even if you know playing against Houston obviously everybody knew that they are really strong and it’s it’s still great experience to play against them even if we’re losing by 30 it’s obviously I want to win right that’s that’s why I’m playing basketball for but uh at the end of the day I realize that every loss is an experience for me for the future
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uh Jagger welcome and um I believe we’re currently sitting on the Brooklyn Nets practice report
welcome home
yep
um
question for you is um we’ve heard about or seen a really successful past few months we heard about you know combine and individual workouts uh could you talk about the preparation and also the mindset uh leading into these past few months
yeah I’ve spent a lot of time uh obviously getting ready for those workouts before I start doing them uh I spent a lot of time in Los Angeles working out with Zach Gonzalez my coach who he got me he gave me max out of his effort and his support to me was unrelated to anything else I could ever ask for and obviously uh he had he had his team too the team of the coaches that were super supportive and were giving their best and I’m really grateful to these guys and to obviously to my agents who were taking care of me uh you know just for this process and I’m really grateful to them that I I I got to this point prepared and had a chance to be a top 10 NBA pick
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congrats do you have any uh NBA players that you’ve studied or you’d consider that you model your game after first and then next during your visit with the Nets um what did Jordi Fernandez and Shawn Marks in their conversations with you tell you about how they could envision you fitting into the system and what they’re trying to build
uh two players I look at as a overall is obviously Luca and Shai as a big guards uh the best players on the picking role uh on a really high usage of it during the game obviously the heads of the snake right and being able to anticipate and really control the game with the ball in their hands right uh and it’s exactly what I’m trying to find in the Brooklyn and uh coach obviously was talking about me being able to get the rebound and go and just go right and find find those outlets uh those athletes that Brooklyn Nets have those young guys who has obviously a lot of athleticism as I said and a lot of talent to be a great finishers second row on the left
uh Jor congratulations a lot of sports talk uh you spent a lot of time in some very cosmopolitan cities uh Moscow uh Madrid and now uh you’re going to be in New York City and Brooklyn uh what are you most excited about off the court being in New York City and what were your first impressions of New York City whether you watched it on TV or heard about it what are your first impressions of New York City
you know this is my first time actually like being here more than one day right i was here uh when I was here on the workout with Brooklyn but uh right now obviously I could explore a little bit more and see how it is and it reminds me a little bit of Moscow of my hometown just in case of how active it is right it’s all the time is alive so many people cars all that and this is something I like right this this style of the game I I never stop uh and this is something that I like about this place right it’s really alive obviously a lot of Russian restaurants that I’m happy to visit i’ll probably that’s the first thing I’m going to do probably
last question first second row in the middle
sheree Phillips Keaton Netsswire jagor congratulations um it’s been a couple of years since the Nets had a guy at the point guard spot that they felt could lead the team into the future talking about you know Kyrie Irving with you being taken as highly as you were do you see yourself as being able to fill the mold of the point guard the future for the Nets
uh well I think well I was playing all my life at point guard so I see myself as a point guard but I also willing to do whatever it takes for me to to bring success to the team right and impact the game in a good way so if coach want me to be a center I will be a center i have no problem with that and I just know I’m a playmaker and no matter what position I’m playing or what spot I’m playing on the on the floor I’m going to make plays thank you all right first question we’ll go to the back for New York more questions from Nolan um obviously there’s been a a run of French players in the NBA coming in recently and and drafted high in the first round as well for you what made you realize that the NBA was possible and then also you know being a first round pick was something that was achievable for you
when do I know
how or when did you know like what made you believe that it was something you could do
um you know I always knew it i always wanted to to make it and uh and to be of course in the first round and um and yeah like right now I’m I’m here uh being able to be part of this journey to to be part of the of the NBA draft is crazy to me and I’m really thankful any other questions for Nolan third row on the right
yeah thanks Bencouch NBA.com you know coming out of the French developmental system what made you elect to play in the French league as the next step to get you here and how do you think that prepared you uh I mean being able to play overseas is uh is really tough you know that’s like really uncomfortable um that’s a that’s a tough league to play in uh really physical uh you play grown men you know you play one you play men that want to like feed their families like they’re here for a reason and uh and like being able to play against those guys even in the European competi uh championship um like really prepared me the best way for the NBA
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uh first of all congratulations
thank you and I just wanted to know your general impressions of the Brooklyn Nets as an organization and Brooklyn New York City as a as a place to live
i mean Brooklyn New York City is like maybe the best city in the world so that that that that’s like really great and uh the Brooklyn Net is a as I said a really famous organization you know with a we have like a great coach uh great front office so I think it’s a really great place to to grow really great place to to build something like really pretty impressive second row in the middle adam first row Nolan team content with the Brooklyn Nets um just interested in your meeting with the Nets and and you know getting to know Jordy Fernandez and kind of how cool it will be to actually have a a European head coach here as you come into the league
yeah that’s good uh I mean he looks like a I mean he is a really great person uh we had fun uh meeting his order uh and I think it’s going to be really great you know as you said he’s Spanish u so I think it’s going to help you know um because both of us we are European so it’s kind of a little connection already so that’s great first row in the middle
eric Slater clutch points congratulations thank you when you um envision you know what you want to your role in the NBA and what you want to bring to Brooklyn you know offensively like what are some of the things the top things that you you know envision being kind of your calling card as an NBA player
uh I’ll bring a lot of pace a lot of pace to the game a lot of IQ um and like you know being able to make the right play uh and play the right way you know for the team make everyone better around me any other questions for Nolan one more and uh curious did you get to know your new teammate Jagor Deon did throughout the pre-draft process just like what were your impressions of him
i did not work out with him um but I know him as a player and I know he’s a really good player you know he has a lot of potential he’s big he’s uh he’s his skill so that that’s great
thank you very much
thank you congratulations uh did you text Ben
no I don’t even have my phone on me right now uh I think he’s probably sound asleep right now though um but yeah it’s an unbelievable opportunity and cannot be more excited to be in Brooklyn
any other questions for Danny
front row well first of all congrats and second of all I’m wondering just general perceptions on being in Brooklyn as a city first and then also what you know about the organization
yeah um I mean first impression is it’s a dream come true to be here uh Brooklyn’s an unbelievable place it’s one of the best cities in the world great front office great coaching staff um I really like the direction of where we’re where we’re going i can say now um but yeah I mean I’m just super excited to get to work it’s an unbelievable opportunity and I’m just excited to be in Brooklyn and call this home
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eddie congratulations we saw a big display of emotion from you your family is it some mixture of you get a green room invite but there’s the pressure of you don’t know when you’ll be drafted is it achieving a lifelong dream of finally making the NBA or could you talk a little bit about just the emotion that goes into draft night it’s really hard to put into words i mean it’s such a unique special opportunity experience um in terms of being in the green room I didn’t exactly know how long I would have been sitting there for um I don’t know if I if you asked me before I wouldn’t have said that this long but um it’s what happened and it’s out of my control and I ended up in an unbelievable place and it’s an unbelievable opportunity and just going to use that as a a chip on my shoulder as a motivating factor um I mean I don’t think where you’re drafted defines you it’s just a start of getting into the league and um I mean that’s kind of been my basketball journey thus far is just kind of having to go step by step and was underrecruited out of high school um unranked so to speak and Yale took a chance on me i didn’t play much and went through two years there and then went to Michigan i still don’t think people believed in me and um now I’m here and just have so much to prove and just super excited to get to work but just going to use that as a chip on my shoulder
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hey Danny uh Perry Matter and team content with the Nets um your your mom kind of slipped in there that this is what you wanted like is she kind of as you were doing the interview there like this he wanted to go to New York he wanted to go to New York um was there anything kind of specific about your interactions with the Nets um and just kind of this franchise where it’s going that made you to want to be a part of this
yeah I mean I had a great visit here sean Marks BJ the front office is great um they really know what they want and then Coach Jord is awesome as well and I kind of got a glimpse of that and I think there’s no better place to live to play basketball to work than New York and Brooklyn and um it’s really a dream come true to play basketball here and um it’s surreal and just can’t wait to kind of finally get started
first row and welcome to New York uh you said that they Brooklyn knows what they want and just looking at their draft I mean it’s clear they drafted a lot of guys who move the ball um could you just talk about your conversations with them and how they see your kind of passing in basketball IQ translating into what they want to do going forward yeah I mean they took Jaor Nolan Triori Drake Powell who I’ve been with in LA and then Ben Saraf and I think it’s just very high IQ individuals who are super smart and savvy with the ball and um just know how to play the game the right way and high character individuals and I’m excited to see how it all comes together but I know I hope I speak for the collective group that we’re all excited to get to work and kind of grow our footing together i mean you have five rookies it’s it’s it’s not you don’t see it that often it’s not um that normal so to speak to have five first round draft picks and just an unbelievable opportunity to be able to grow with those guys um to be able to learn with them to experience with them and um it’s an exciting time third row in the middle danny can you take us into your head a bit after that first season at Yale some people doubted you you didn’t play much what did it take for you to persevere through that moment yeah I mean obviously I didn’t play much my freshman year and kind of used that as an opportunity to grow and develop and um Coach Jones and the staff believed in me and kind of used that for my sophomore year and um just put my head down and worked and I got to where I was then it’s how I got to where I am now and it’s all I know is to work hard and um who I am now is nowhere near where I’m going to be at the end of my rookie season and I know I’m going be able to say that after each season and um I have high belief in myself and confidence and I know what I can become and I’m just going to work hard to do that and attain that and be the best I can be
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you’re a very unique player in terms of skill set what you can do at your size as you know a passer ball handler things like that are there any players current or former who you look at as kind of similar or a model of you know how you could grow in the NBA former current NBA players yeah I think I mean you look at all the European bigs who had try to take bits and pieces from their games you look at Joic and Goon Sabonis I mean Lowry Markin France Vagner Michigan guy just all these guys who are just so skilled savvy and make the game look effortless and try to take bits and pieces out of all their games and just what they do and um try to just emulate some of those things first on the right
uh hey Danny you you brought up your time at Michigan and especially you know with the way the ball was in your hands and how you were deployed on the floor in your conversations with Brooklyn was there any talk about you know any specific role you’re supposed to play or was it just more like open-minded see you know how you perform and then they go from there
yeah I mean I think it’s open-minded you have to earn whatever role you got whether that’s ball dominant whether that’s an offball guy it’s up to you to determine what that is and um just how you perform in practice and you have to earn the coach’s trust and belief and confidence in you and um I know that’s what I’m going to do from day one and yeah I mean just going to try to earn that as best I can uh because I know what I can do whatever that might look like and I’m going to mold to the role best of my ability but within that just kind of keep working until I get what I want first row middle
you brought up a couple players Joic and Sabonis were two of the guys you brought up jordy Fernandez coached both of those players during his stops in Denver and Sacramento was that something that came up in you know his conversations with you of you know how he could potentially you know envision your skill set fitting into what he wants to do
i mean yeah I think Coach Jord is an unbelievable coach um I was sitting next to Coach May and just my agents at our table and just going through the iterations of what’s going to happen and how it’s going to play out and Brooklyn popped up and they all raved about him and as they did in the process and um I watched a good amount of Brooklyn games this year and he’s he’s exciting coach he’s super smart and um I mean he’s coached two of the best bigs in the world right now and um I know that I’m just going to try to learn as much as I can from him and try to develop in his system second row on the left
you talked about uh being excited to play in such a young team how do you think you’re going to stand out with so many rookies on the team
yeah I mean it’s it’s a blessing it’s you have four other guys you got to share locker room with that are your class and you got to learn with and develop with and grow with um within that it’s up to you to kind of just be yourself do what you do and um let the main thing be the main thing i know it’s been said but um I know how I play i know my strengths i know my weaknesses i know what I’m going to work at and it’s up to me to do that um that’s why they selected me it’s why they put their belief and trust in me and invested into me and um it’s up to me to do with that as I want and um I want great things so
last question for Israel
ben Saraf obviously Israeli you spent some time playing internationally in Israel do you guys have any prior connection or know each other through that yeah it’s crazy it still doesn’t really hit me yet but um I was supposed to play on the U20 team with him when I played in 2023 and then ultimately he decided to play on the U8 team but I really got to spend some time with him there and we’ll communicate here and there uh over social media but from what I’ve heard uh he’s an unbelievable kid and just watching him he makes the game look so easy effortless and um it’ll be really exciting and fun and a great opportunity to kind of be with him and grow with him
thank you very much Danny thanks guys appreciate it happy to be here

Brooklyn Nets first-round picks Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, and Danny Wolf speak to the media at Barclays Center after being selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, sharing their first reactions and what it means to join the Nets.

0:00 – Egor Demin
10:11 – Nolan Traore
14:42 – Danny Wolf

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