ThePortland Trail Blazers’ predraft workouts are winding down ahead of the June 25-26 NBA draft. The Oregonian/OregonLive has been producing mini profiles on most of the top prospects the Blazers could target with the No. 11 pick.
Prior individual posts: Maryland forwardDerik Queen; Michigan Stage guard Jase Richardson; Georgia forward Asa Newell; Connecticut forward Liam McNeeley; Illinois forward Will Riley; Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming.
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BYU | 6-8 | Guard | 19
Background: Demin, out of Russia, became the first five-star recruit to sign with BYU in 2024. He helped lead the Real Madrid B team to the Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament championship in 2023.
2024-25 statistics: Demin, who worked out Friday for the Blazers, averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 assists with 3.9 rebounds, shooting 41.2% from the field and 27.3% from long distance. He was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman team and honorable mention all-conference.
Mock drafts: Most mock drafts have Demin going off the board in the teens, but CBSSports.com has the Blazers selecting him at No. 11.
CBSSports.com: No. 11, Blazers.
USA Today: No. 13, Atlanta Hawks.
The Ringer: No. 14, San Antonio Spurs.
NBADraft.Net: No. 14, San Antonio Spurs.
SBNation.com: No. 14, San Antonio Spurs.
Bleacher Report: No. 17, Minnesota Timberwolves.
YahooSports.com: No. 19, Brooklyn Nets.
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Strengths: Demin brings uncommon size to the point guard position and has demonstrated good court vision and passing skills while operating with a high basketball IQ. He maneuvers to the basket well and can finish powerful dunks or soft touch with either hand.
Egor Demin
Egor Demin #3 of the Brigham Young Cougars moves the ball against Chris Youngblood #8 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half of a Sweet Sixteen game in the men's NCAA basketball tournament at Prudential Center on March 27, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)Getty Images
Weaknesses: Demin is limited athletically, likely making him a defensive liability. However, he has shown enough smarts to compensate in that area by using his size and reach to his advantage.
His outside shooting needs work, but he has a smooth stroke that could lead to improved accuracy over time.
Team fit: The Blazers already have a project at point guard in Scoot Henderson, who will be entering his third season. Do they need another? Not likely.
If general manager Joe Cronin is confident that he will remain in his role after a new owner takes over, then taking a flier on Demin could make long-term sense. Otherwise, the Blazers need win-now players, and that’s not Demin.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)