Would Egor Demin Fit With Utah Jazz In NBA Draft?
Jun 20, 2025, 3:31 PM | Updated: 3:32 pm
Egor Demin #3 of the Brigham Young Cougars (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY—After the Utah Jazz own the fifth and 21st picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, one name they’ll monitor closely is BYU guard Egor Demin.
The Jazz had a 52.1 percent chance of landing one of the top four picks in the draft, and a 47.9 percent chance of selecting fifth.
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Egor Demin Scouting Report
Bio: 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists: .412/.373/.695
BYU – Guard – 19 years old on draft night
Strengths: A projected top-10 pick upon committing to BYU, Demin had an up-and-down freshman season before declaring for the draft.
A tall point guard, Demin measured even taller than expected at 6-foot-8.25 at the NBA combine, highlighting his intrigue as an oversized lead ball handler.
The Moscow native is one of the best passers in the draft, throwing a variety of skip, entry, and lob passes during his time at BYU, and not being afraid to try to create an advantage for his teammates with his playmaking.
Big week for BYU guard Egor Demin at the NBA draft combine. Came out bigger than expected at 6’9 1/2 in shoes and showed off his clean shooting stroke in drills. Getting strong looks from NBA teams throughout the lottery. pic.twitter.com/epDrlmXS5b
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 15, 2025
Though his 2.9 turnovers per game were a touch high, it’s lower than other projected lottery pick point guards like Kasparas Jakucionis (3.7) and Jeremiah Fears (3.4), with a better assist average.
Demin is most dangerous operating at the pick and roll, where he can find his roller with well-timed wraparounds, pocket passes, and alley-oops, or kick the ball to shooters in the corners.
As a scorer, the BYU guard was at his best getting to the nail and either pulling up for a mid-range jump shot, which he gets off easily due to his excellent height, or taking an extra step and finishing at the rim.
While the three-point shot didn’t go in at a high rate, he showed some ability to create his own three-point shot off the dribble with crafty footwork and a shooting form that wouldn’t be considered broken.
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Demin’s 6-foot-10.25 wingspan allows him to jump passing lanes for steals, leading to 1.2 per game, and even if he’s not a particularly cerebral defender, his length closes off angles on the floor for opposing players looking to skip the ball to the weakside of the floor.
Due to his size, Demin may also have value defending wings, even if he struggles to contain quicker guards at the next level.
Weaknesses: The most glaring weakness in Demin’s game is his shooting profile, where the 19-year-old shot just 27 percent from the floor and 69 percent from the free-throw line.
Kevin Young ran a system that generated lots of open looks on the perimeter for BYU’s players, and even with a high number of quality looks, Demin is a well-below-average shooter.
Unlike Jakucionis or Fears, who also struggled to shoot the three, but knocked down over 84 percent of their free throws, Demin connected on fewer than 70 percent of his free-throw attempts and rarely got to the charity stripe.
Egor Demin #BYU
Hit The Music. pic.twitter.com/vQ1ZoMOdhS
— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) April 19, 2025
The guard attempted one or fewer free throws in 14 of his 33 games at BYU, despite his physical advantages and reliance on scoring in the paint.
Though Demin has some traits as a lead guard, his offense is uniquely reliant on ball screens.
Due to a slow first step and an upright posture, Demin struggles to beat defenders off the dribble and thus requires a screen to create space to get to his offensive tools.
When paired with his poor shooting numbers, the guard might offer teams very little in regard to isolation scoring or scoring in general.
Demin may need to share the floor with other competent ball handlers early in his career, as opposing teams will likely attack his high dribble.
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Though Demin clearly has a competitive demeanor, at times he can appear passive with the ball in his hands, while also forcing ill-advised hero shots in the biggest moments of games.
Compared to some true floor generals, Demin’s rhythm and pacing don’t guarantee consistent offensive execution during the game’s most difficult stretches.
Would Egor Demin fit with the Jazz in the draft?
While Demin is likely not in serious discussions for the Jazz with the fifth pick, he could be the type of high-upside swing teams like when selecting in the 20s.
Demin’s size and passing acumen are above average even in today’s ultra-large, ultra-skilled NBA, and if his three-point shooting develops, he could be a major offensive weapon over the next decade.
In Utah, the guard would be a strong fit playing in the pick-and-roll with Walker Kessler, especially with shooters like Lauri Markkanen, Brice Sensabaugh, and Taylor Hendricks spacing the floor.
Even if his ballhandling and shotmaking don’t fully develop, Demin may have some offensive optionality as an off-ball connector and secondary playmaker on teams that can hide his weaknesses.
Overall, Demin is projected to be selected somewhere in the late lottery to mid-teens, but don’t be surprised if he’s still on the board when the Jazz are picking at 21.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
