Egor Dëmin (plantar fascia tear) and Haywood Highsmith (knee) are the only #Nets listed as out for tomorrow’s preseason tilt vs. the #Suns in Macao. That could mean the debut of first-round pick Drake Powell, who missed Summer League & the opener w/ knee tendinopathy. #NBA
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) October 9, 2025
The Brooklyn Nets have already played one preseason game in which the fans have seen many of the players preview what they’ll be doing during the season. Brooklyn has been dealing with some injuries through training camp and the preseason, but it looks like at least two players will be out for Friday’s preseason game against the Phoenix Suns.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported on Thursday that rookie guard Egor Demin and veteran forward Haywood Highsmith are listed as out by the Nets for Friday’s exhibition. Demin is still dealing with a plantar fascia tear while Highsmith is still recovering from offseason knee surgery prior to his trade from the Miami Heat.
Lewis went on to note that with rookie forward Drake Powell not being listed as out for Friday’s game against the Suns could mean he will make his preseason debut. Powell missed significant time during the summer and into training camp while dealing with left knee tendinopathy, but it seems like he’s likely to take the floor.
In Brooklyn’s 123-88 win over Hapoel Jerusalem on Oct. 4, Demin, Powell, and Highsmith did not play due to their respective injuries while forward Fanbo Zeng did not play due to a coach’s decision. With that being said, forward Terance Mann led the way for the Nets in their first preseason game as he dropped 15 points and three rebounds in 19 minutes played.
Ultimately, whether Demin and Highsmith are able to come back at some point during the preseason shouldn’t be too alarming as long as their rehab remains on track. Either way, Nets fans should rest easy knowing that the rest of the roster is available for action if head coach Jordi Fernandez calls on them to play.