Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets
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Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets speaks to the media during Brooklyn Nets Media Day at Brooklyn Nets HSS Training Center on September 23, 2025
Brooklyn Nets rookie Egor Demin is slated to earn $6.89 million (excluding taxes), but is still struggling to adjust to the high cost of living in New York.
In a recent interview with former NBA player Jimmer Fredette, Demin, who played college basketball for BYU in Utah, detailed his struggles since moving to New York.
“I mean, everything I’ve been buying right now is [expensive]—uh, I paid my rent, which was not easy,” he told “From the Logo” podcast, via HoopsHype.
“It was… it was frustrating. Coming from Utah to New York and paying for rent—it’s pretty hard, I can’t lie. That wasn’t, mentally, the easiest thing. Um, I got some needs—some clothes, you know. I’ve got to—now I’ve got to be on the same level with the status in clothes.”
Egor Demin Details Struggles
“And yeah, just kind of stuff like this. Furniture costs a lot here too,” he continued.
The Russian teenager said he has yet to purchase a car.
“I’m not planning to buy a car this year, so I don’t think there’s going to be a big purchase,” he said. “I think I’m just going to—again—I’m just going to try to be smart with my money and, yeah, look for the opportunities where to invest it and make sure they’re safe.”
It’s worth noting that NBA players based in New York face higher taxes than most U.S. states due to the combined “jock tax,” which applies to all income earned while performing services in the state, and the region’s high personal income tax rate.
Furthermore, per multiple reports, NBA stars are taxed a portion of their salary not just for every game, but also for practice sessions and travel days they have in New York. This includes a combined top marginal rate of 14.776 percent for New York City residents, which is a significant portion of their income.
Brooklyn Nets Keep Losing
Egor Demin’s teammate, Michael Porter Jr., also felt the pinch of the high cost of living in New York after he moved from Denver, Colorado. At the start of the season, MPJ shockingly revealed that he spends $200-$250 a day just on Uber rides.
“I’m recently getting acclimated to the city, Porter said, via New York Post.
“The traffic is tough,” he continued. “I shipped a car out here, I was thinking, can I drive? I ended up being like no. The $200-$250 a day of Ubering is worth it out here. New York is different, but I’m adjusting to the city.”
The Brooklyn Nets are among the NBA’s worst teams. They fell to 1-10 on Tuesday after suffering a 119-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Nets are so hapless on defense that they’re conceding a league-worst 126.3 points per 100 possessions, while allowing opponents to shoot at a staggering 51.9% from the field and 39.6% from three.