On rookie Egor Demin, Jordi Fernandez said that he is not as close as Drake Powell is when it comes to getting back to 100%, but that Demin is doing a great job. Fernandez said that a timeline will be given at some point as Demin deals with his plantar fascia issue.
— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) September 25, 2025
Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernández said Thursday that rookie Egor Dёmin is progressing well and attacking his injury rehabilitation daily at the start of training camp.
Nets general manager Sean Marks revealed this week that Dёmin has been dealing with a plantar fascia tear since the NBA Summer League in July. Dёmin said the injury isn’t a “big deal” and likely occurred as a byproduct of his workload over time, rather than on one specific play.
The hope is that Dёmin will be ready for the start of the regular season on Oct. 22 against the Charlotte Hornets. However, he isn’t as close to returning to the contact portion of practice as fellow rookie Drake Powell (knee), according to Sharif Phillips-Keaton of Nets Wire.
Dёmin was the eighth pick in the 2025 NBA draft after averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season at BYU. He is among a packed draft class for the Nets, joining Nolan Traoré (19th pick), Powell (22nd), Ben Saraf (26th) and Danny Wolf (27th).
The 6-foot-9 Russian has worked extensively to embrace the physicality and pace that is played with in the NBA. He has added about 10 pounds since the draft combine to prepare for the increased contact he’ll experience throughout his rookie campaign.
Dёmin is projected to be the starting point guard in a crowded backcourt over Traoré, Saraf and the recently-acquired Kobe Bufkin. He and the team will be hopeful that he can return to the court as soon as possible to be ready for the start of the season.