The NBA Draft Lottery wasn't very fun for most of us, as the local darling Utah Jazz were knocked aside in favor of rising squads like Philadelphia, San Antonio, and the declared owners of the number one pick, Dallas, spirits were understandably low for a Beehive State whose professional basketball dreams have been beaten down yet again.
But one Beehive State resident should be absolutely thrilled by the will of the ping pong balls: BYU basketball entrant, Egor Demin.
Through a season that gave many NBA teams reason to doubt Demin's potential at the next level, Egor also displayed example after example of basketball brilliance during his lone season with Kevin Young's Cougars. Entering Draft season, the Russian was mocked to fall somewhere between the 12th and 20th pick.
Given the results of the Draft Lottery, Egor's NBA career may be in very good hands. An important detail for a prospect whose developmental success may be directly tied to his landing spot in the league.
The full 2025 NBA draft Lottery results ⭐
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 12, 2025
Where did your team land? pic.twitter.com/UjRZDQYF3I
For just a moment, ignore the top of the draft. I'm about as big of a Egor apologist as exists in the basketball media, but even I will abstain from projecting Demin as a top 5 pick. Sorry Utah, Philly, and especially Dallas, but you are not the team's I'm looking at here.
Shoot your gaze down to the back end of the draft lottery, and one team leaps off the page: the San Antonio Spurs. Sitting with the 14th pick is an organization that has a historically founded affinity for international players and values team basketball above all else. Despite the recent shift in management with the promotion of Mitch Johnson as Gregg Popovich ascended to team president, this Moscow native could see himself become a target of developmental paradise.
I've already touched on just why this would be such an enticing landing spot for Egor, but I'll list them out briefly once more.
Veterans in the Backcourt
No, this isn't an "Angels in the Outfield" reference, despite the syllabic pattern, this is all about Chris Paul and De'Aaron Fox, two point guards who have proven track records in the league and -- in Paul's case -- an understanding for the game unmatched by nearly any player in history.
Slot Egor into the lineup and you could see him blossom as a secondary playmaker. A chance to improve his ball-handling ability and start off slowly as a secondary creator and playmaker could pay dividends for his long-term development. Egor is not a player that needs to be thrown directly into the fire; he may not be ready to handle the smoke yet.
The Spurs would be a patient garden for Egor, as their championship window is still years from opening, and could be just what Demin needs. Though they'll have the liberty of selecting Dylan Harper with the second pick (given they don't package that pick in a trade for Giannis), I expect with such a crowded backcourt, they could favor a longer-term project who could pop at the perfect moment for contention.
The Shot Doctor
Chip Engelland, an assistant on the Spurs' coaching staff, has long been hailed as a brilliant shooting coach, capable of tweaking, adjusting, and improving jump shots with exceptional results. In Egor's case, inefficiency in his jump shooting has been a prevailing cause for pause with NBA scouts and evaluators.
But here's the oddity in that point: Egor's shot looks perfectly fine above the waist. A high release point with a gentle snap of the wrist at the end suggests that he's plenty capable of improving his shooting percentage, which is paired with his improving free-throw percentage as the season progressed.
Take a look at the tape in the NCAA Tournament. When the lights were brightest, Egor delivered some of his strongest performances of the season against tough squads in VCU and Wisconsin. I expect Egor to bloom in the NBA, but his landing spot could be a significant indicator of whether he booms or busts.
Time will tell, but for now, he has reason to smile.