The Brooklyn Nets‘ selection of former BYU guard Egor Dёmin with the No. 8 pick was voted the biggest reach of the 2025 NBA draft in a survey conducted by Jeremy Woo of ESPN.
A group of 20 executives and scouts was anonymously asked about various topics related to the incoming rookie class, from the Rookie of the Year winner to the potential steal of the draft. The participants answered a total of five questions.
Dёmin received seven votes from the panel in the category, topping Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen (4 votes, 16th pick) and Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (3 votes, 11th pick). Five other players each received a vote.
Three players drew multiple votes from the panel: Demin, Yang and Coward, with the Nets guard drawing the most scrutiny. Brooklyn held five first-round picks and ultimately made and rostered all five of them, enabling a strategy that led to several swings on playmaking prospects, including Demin. At 6-foot-9, Demin has excellent passing skills but was divisive for teams all season as he dealt with ups and downs adjusting to college basketball at BYU.
Dёmin was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team last season, averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 41.2% shooting from the field. He dazzled as a playmaker, ranking third in the conference in assists after setting the freshman program record (180).
The 6-foot-9 Russian primarily worked out for teams selecting in the 5-15 range leading up to the draft last month. However, the Nets were heavily linked to Dёmin throughout the predraft process, so it is somewhat surprising that their eventual pick garnered the most votes from the panel.
Dёmin had a solid showing in summer league, averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and one steal on 43.5% shooting from 3-point range. The ultimate test will come when the games start to count, but the 19-year-old looked to be anything but a questionable draft pick.