After one solid season in Provo in which freshman star Egor Demin helped BYU reach the Sweet 16, he unsurprisingly declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. Where the 6-foot-9 maestro would be drafted was difficult for many draft pundits to predict. They salivated over his size and playmaking skills, but questioned his outside shooting and ability to handle physical on-ball defense.
On draft night the young Russian was selected eighth overall by the Brooklyn Nets.
While the high expectations of being a Top 10 lottery pick will follow Egor for the rest of his professional career, it's helpful sometimes to take a step back and objectively review what the past tells us about the performance of No. 8 overall picks.
The summary is No. 8 picks rarely make All-Star teams or elevate their teams to championship-level contenders. Let's hope Egor Demin bucks that trend.
Here's a look back at the careers of the 10 players drafted at No. 8 overall from 2013 to 2022. I'm excluding Jarace Walker (No. 8 pick in 2023) and Rob Dillingham (2024) to give players at least two full NBA seasons before judging their careers.
2022 - Dyson Daniels, G: BORDERLINE ALL-STAR
After two lackluster seasons as a role player coming off the bench for the New Orleans Pelicans, Daniels joined the Atlanta Hawks for the 2024-25 season and blossomed. He started 76 games for Atlanta last season, averaging 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and a league-leading 3.0 steals per game. He was named the NBA's Most Improved Player, finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and was voted All-Defensive First Team.
2021 - Franz Wagner, SF: BORDERLINE ALL-STAR
The 6-foot-10 forward has had an outstanding four-year NBA career by averaging 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He averaged 15.2 points per game as a rookie and was named to the 2021-22 All Rookie team. This past season Wagner took his game to near All-Star levels, averaging 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 points in 60 for the Orlando Magic.
2020 - Obi Toppin, SF: ROLE PLAYER
Toppin spent his first three NBA seasons as a role player for the New York Knicks, averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game. He has spent the last two seasons with the Indiana Pacers as a more impactful role player, averaging 10.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. He played an important supporting role in helping the Pacers make the NBA Finals this past season.
2019 - Jaxson Hayes, C: ROLE PLAYER
A six-year NBA role player, the seven-footer has started 87 of 367 career games. He has averaged 16.4 minutes per game with 6.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per contest.
2018 - Collin Sexton, G: SOLID STARTER
Sexton has been a solid starter throughout his entire seven-year NBA career. Between four years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and three with the Utah Jazz, the veteran guard has averaged an impressive 18.8 points per game and 3.7 assists while hitting 38.7% of his 3-point attempts. He averaged a career-high 24.3 points per game with the Cavs in 2020-21, but has yet to make an All-Star team.
2017 - Frank Ntilikina, G: ROLE PLAYER
In a seven-year career with three different teams, the 6-foot-4 guard was a role player who averaged 17.0 minutes over 321 career games, averaging 4.8 points and 2.2 assists. He did not play in the NBA this past season.
2016 - Marquese Chriss, PF: JOURNEYMAN
While he always oozed potential, Chriss struggled to find his footing in the NBA. In his six-year NBA career he played for five different teams, averaging 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds before exiting the league after the 2021-22 season.
2015 - Stanley Johnson, F: ROLE PLAYER
The former Arizona Wildcat was a role player throughout his eight-year NBA career spanning five different teams. In 449 career games (104 starts) he averaged 19.8 minutes, 6.2 points, and 3.1 rebounds per game.
2014 - Nik Stauskas, SG: JOURNEYMAN
The infamous "Sauce Castillo" wasn't quite as spicy as his legendary nickname. He somehow played for seven teams in his six-year NBA career, including a two-year break from the league before returning in 2021 for a brief, final eight-game stint. He started 63 of 343 career games, averaging 6.7 points per contest.
2013 - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G: AVERAGE STARTER
For the past 12 seasons, KCP has been the definition of an average NBA starter. Averaging 11.2 points per game over his career, he's a decent scorer who has hit near 40% of his 3-point attempts over the last five seasons. He's a plus defender but has never made an All-Defensive team. He's a good "glue guy" who makes his team better but doesn't lead them to glory. He's a two-time NBA champion with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2023 Denver Nuggets.
What this means for Egor Demin
In summary, of the 10 players drafted No. 8 overall between 2013 and 2022, here's how their careers have played out:
Two were just journeymen (Stauskas, Chriss) while four became role players (Johnson, Ntilikina, Hayes, Toppin).
One player developed into an average starter (KCP) while another became a solid starter (Sexton).
Wagner and Daniels are borderline All-Stars, but none of these 10 players drafted at No. 8 overall have made an All-Star team or been a key cog in elevating their teams into true playoff contenders.
If Egor Demin develops into even an above average NBA starter, he'll outperform most of the former No. 8 picks who recently preceded him. Happiness is often a function of expectations, and expectations for Egor Demin may need to be tempered based on the careers of those who came before him.