RUSSIAN point guard Egor Demin brings plenty of height to his position, and has the skillset to match, making him a seriously enticing prospect heading into the 2025 NBA Draft.

At six-foot-nine, it is remarkable that Demin plays the one, but it makes complete sense when you see how well he impacts the game with ball in hand. He is an elite passer, and is able to see the floor extremely well due to his height, capped off by excellent decision making and execution. As expected, Demin is a strong rebounder for his position, and is overall an exceptionally creative player.

He is a solid shooter, although his long-range impact does need some work. However, players of his frame and position have proven in the past that it is an area that can be quickly developed at the top level.

As a member of the BYU Cougars, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.4 blocks on 41 per cent shooting from the field, doing enough to suggest he looms as a lottery selection in June.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will run through some of the clearest comparisons to already established NBA talents, with Demin progressing quite similar to some of the brightest young stars in the competition.

Josh Giddey – Chicago Bulls

The biggest Australian name in the NBA at the moment, Giddey is the clearest comparison to Demin, given both players have the same blueprint as talents. Giddey emerged from the NBL from the Next Stars program, and was drafted to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls, and has been playing at an All-Star level throughout 2025, making the leap to stardom over the past few months. Like Giddey, Demin is a tall point guard with incredible vision and makes life a lot easier for his teammates. Although the Aussie is certainly quicker with and without the ball, but Demin is a better shooter than Giddey was when he entered the NBA, and the fact that the latter was able to improve this side of his game extremely fast bodes well for the Russian prospect.

Lonzo Ball – Chicago Bulls

Although the player frames are quite different in terms of size, both players possess elite vision, making Ball the second Bull on this list. Ball was one of the best prospects of his draft class, and was selected with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft to the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately, injuries have ensured Ball has not been able to reach his full potential, although there are certainly glimpses of it throughout the course of his career. Now playing for Chicago and looking to put his injury woes behind him, Ball still plays to his strength as an on-ball defender and playmaker, with the latter proving the biggest comparison to Demin. Both players can see the floor much better than their peers and it allows them to open up the play both in transition and in halfcourt sets.

Deni Avdija – Portland Trail Blazers

One of the breakout stars of the 2024/25 NBA season, Avdija is one step away from stardom and at 24 years of age, still has plenty of growth ahead. Selected with the ninth pick of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, but it was his move to Portland that did wonders for his development. Now a central figure of the Trail Blazers’ young core, Avdija is now a reliable 20-plus point scorer, and could be an All-Star next season if his development continues. Demin’s similarities to Avdija come purely in the form of player build, with both players standing six-foot-nine and moving extremely smooth with ball in hand. Although they play different positions, there are certainly similarities in the way they both move with the ball, and Demin will be hoping to have a similar impact once he reaches the NBA.