Nets' Egor Demin gives his thoughts on BYU's AJ Dybantsa

The Brooklyn Nets (17-53) are nearing the end of their 2025-26 NBA season as they have just 12 games left heading into Sunday's game at the Sacramento Kings. Brooklyn is trying to win as many games as they can prior to the conclusion of this season, but they also have their eye on the 2026 NBA Draft and one of their rookies recognizes the talent coming into the league. "He’s going to be a great player.

People talk about comparisons to [Kevin Durant], Jayson Tatum, and it does look like it to me," Nets rookie Egor Demin said of BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Demin, the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, also out of BYU, has had a chance to see Dybantsa through keeping up with his alma mater and it sounds like he likes what he sees. "It’s a lot of midrange, really aggressive driver, slasher, the transition game, physicality, crazy athlete.

He’s got everything to be able to play on the highest level," Demin continued on Dybantsa, per Lewis. With the way that Dybantsa has played in recent weeks, along with injury issues plaguing Kansas guard Darryn Peterson lately, Dybantsa is projected to be the first player selected in the upcoming Draft. The Nets head into Sunday's game at Sacramento with the third-worst record in the NBA, meaning that if the season ended today, the franchise would have a 14.

0% chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick. However, if Brooklyn is going to select Dybantsa, assuming that's who general manager Sean Marks and the front office, they would have to hope for luck on their side seeing as they could slide as far back as the seventh overall pick.