Potential lottery pick Egor Demin announces he is leaving BYU, will enter the 2025 NBA Draft

Egor Demin — the 6'9" Russian guard whose path went from Real Madrid to BYU — is headed to the NBA.

Demin made the long-expected announcement official on social media Tuesday.

Demin is a polarizing figure among scouts that NBC Sports has spoken with — some see him as an end-of-the-lottery pick, others think he could end up falling down draft boards.

At BYU, he averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 assists a game, shooting 27.3% from 3, and he led the Cougars to the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than a decade. His path to the NBA Draft was winding. Demin was born in Moscow but moved to Spain to play for Real Madrid at age 15. New BYU coach Kevin Young (formerly of the Phoenix Suns) wanted him, and so they threw seven digits of NIL money at the problem to get him out of his Real Madrid contract to play in Utah. It worked out well for the Cougars.

Demin is a big guard at 6'9" and is the best passer in this draft class. He has a strong feel for the game and great vision. The question becomes, can he score at the NBA level? How he looks in team workouts could go a long way to where he ends up getting drafted, he just needs one team to fall in love with his potential.

He is absolutely a first-round lock and with that is making the right move entering the 2025 NBA Draft. The only question is where he lands.