#8, Who's YOUR Pick?

[Netaman]

Same article Saraf & Traore:

Nolan Traoré | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Saint-Quentin
Eastern Conference executive No. 2: He never got a summer (last year), and I think he hit a wall. He got brought to the French national team for the Olympics. They strung him out. Maybe someone told him wrong, but I think he thought there was a chance he’d make the roster, because he had a hot end to the year. … He spent that entire time really going for it and trying to make that roster. If you really looked at that roster, numbers-wise, he wasn’t going to make it. But he thought he was. When he didn’t, it really pissed him off. So from there, he goes straight from that, they find a deal (for him) in (France’s) first division. So he never had an offseason. Started off gangbusters, then kind of hit a wall. … Just the timing of him sort of having some rocky games, that was the timing of everybody was there in France, because we were there for the NBA Paris Games. So all the teams were in and out of Paris in those two weeks, and in those two weeks, he really struggled. It almost piled on, when he didn’t really need to be evaluated and scrutinized that much, that was the exact time he was struggling. But if you watch him now, he’s like 6-3, good athlete, can really pass it. Gotta play with his left hand more; he’s very, very right-hand dominant. They’ve been working with him on that. …

When you let him play, (he’s) really talented. He can see it. He’s really good in transition. He can make a shot, but he’s not a deadeye guy. I think he goes early 20s. Late teens, early 20s, is a good comfortable landing spot for him. He’ll probably start his career as a good backup. He’ll be a little more mature than a lot of the younger guards, because he’s played professionally for so long. …I don’t know if his motor is such… to be one of those guys in the league, you have to have that killer gene. I don’t think he has it. Hoops Summit, he played out of his mind. But he still doesn’t come at you with that like, I’m going to kill you in this game.

Western Conference executive No. 3: Our scouts have an equation for French guards. They don’t make it in the NBA. Killian Hayes. (Frank) Ntilkina. Not Tony Parker; he made it (laughs). I went in with my eyes colored. And then I went, OK, what if this kid was playing in the United States, as a freshman or sophomore? Would he be First Team All-ACC, or First Team All-Big Ten? I don’t think so. But he’d be flirting with it. Would he be a starter on most ACC or Big Ten squads? Yes.

Ben Saraf | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm
Western Conference executive No. 3: Extremely confident kid. In the same context as (Warriors guard Brandin) Podziemski. One of Brandin’s best traits is he thinks he’s the best player on the floor. This kid has that same characteristic. When he has the ball, stop me. Aside from that, the offensive piece is NBAish. Defensively, he’s going to get tested a little bit, but he’s going to figure it out. This kid thinks he’s Jordan. And that may be a little bit cuckoo, but every time I’ve seen this kid, whether he’s playing for Israel or for Ulm, you can write it down. There’s maybe, legitimately, 13 to 15 guys I would take swings with. But his range, I would be comfortable with, maybe, early 20s. I think he will have a career in somebody’s rotation. If he goes to a team that really knows him, that will increase his chances of, after his first contract, he’ll get paid, get a good deal. He will absolutely kill summer league.

Western Conference executive No. 4: I personally like his size and grit. Plays hard, smart, good decision-maker with the ball. Needs a consistent jumper but will make plays and run the team adequately. He is a tough SOB.

[Netaman]

and wolf/powell:

Danny Wolf | 6-11 big | 21 years old | Michigan

Eastern Conference executive No. 2: If you’re a fan, you think this is the next Kelly Olynyk. He can think the game, he can pass, he can shoot some. My problem with him is he’s (6-11) and he’s physical, and he plays like he’s 6-6. He does up-and-unders instead of just going over guys. He wants to pass and make plays. It would be one thing if he was a great shooter. He’s not a great shooter.

College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Michigan): What they want you to do is drop coverage where he and (Vladislav) Golden can do screen and roll at the elbow. Look at his turnovers. He’s a very high turnover machine, because he can’t go left very well. He can shoot 3s, so that does translate. He can bring it up as a five. He told Michigan I won’t come there if you make me play five. He didn’t want to guard fives in college. He did, five-10 minutes a game, but they had Golden. In order for him to be a mismatch, he’s got to play the five in the NBA. He is a late developer. He’s much better than he was two or three years ago.

Drake Powell | 6-5 wing | 19 years old | North Carolina
College head coach No. 1 (his team played North Carolina): I really like him as a long-term guy. By the second time we played them, to see how much better he got, he really bought into the role of being a defensive guy. They put him on our (two) best players. He was difficult to score on. For a young guy to understand that and take on that challenge speaks volumes. Offensively, he was a catch-and-shoot guy. A straight-line driver, no wiggle in his game. He has to improve that. But long term, as a cutter, a slasher, he seems like a really good dude. With the rep he had coming out of high school, McDonald’s and all that, to embrace the defensive role says a lot.

College assistant coach No. 10: Drake’s going to be a good player; he may not be a good player tomorrow. He’s not going to play in a playoff game. But in two years, that’s all they do up there — player development, whether it’s in the G League or not. To me, he looks like one of those guys at Oklahoma City. He fits their model. I think he can be 3-and-D, and I think he can be good with the ball. He did it in high school. He’s got to improve his ability to shoot and get the rim, be a foul magnet so he can stay on the floor. Defensively, he’s got a chance to be special. He’s rangy. If he drives, if someone levels him off, he’s more liable to take a side step back and go for a middy (jumper). He kind of settles for that.

[One_and_Done]

You got some interesting guys, but the Nets front office hasn't gotten enough benefit of the doubt for me to trust their Egor pick.

[Netaman]

no ceilings guys actually had demin in their final mock to nets. that's impressive. believe they went 6/7 on the first 7 picks too.

also given how everything went, i kind of think Kon was the Nets top target at #8 even over Bailey. If Bailey fell I think they'd have probably picked him, but it would not surprise me if after Kon, they had Demin as high as Tre/Fears and may have taken him over one of both of them. They clearly throughout the night prioritized BBIQ and skill over explosiveness.

Kon had a combination of the BBIQ mixed with some athleticism, great production, and an elite shot. That's why he went 4 like he did. I bet the Nets had him as their top target.

After that I think it's dealer's choice, Bailey has very limited playmaking so far, Tre/Fears have a bit more with dynamic scoring skill, but all had some weaknesses too. I'd imagine Demin was closer to that group to the Nets than we expected and the public more broadly.

[vincecarter4pres]

You want the most accurate likely comparison for Egor?

You’re gonna have to take a long walk with the old man lol.

Walt Williams.

Walt was a lot beefier, but I believe it tracks.

[Netaman]

You want the most accurate likely comparison for Egor?

You’re gonna have to take a long walk with the old man lol.

Walt Williams.

Walt was a lot beefier, but I believe it tracks.

gonna need a walking stick or rascal scooter for that walk lol.

i think im gonna take the easy road on this one and just hope for a better version of giddey all around. scouts from the aldridge article ahead of the draft said at worst he's another giddey, i think that's probably overselling but i do like the look of his jump shot far more than giddey, and honestly he just looks more natural to me than giddey does.

and if you told me right now i could sign for just what giddey has done thru age 22, id probably sign for that because it is a productive 22 year old starter. for an 8th pick that is a perfectly reasonable outcome, and just like OKC was able to cash in giddey for a key role player on their championship team the nets would be able to similarly find a trade partner for that level of player.

btw for anyone who wants to get hyped, this clip of Demin vs Traore last year is it:

Read on Twitter

there is very little doubt in my mind last June when Marks made the trade with the Rockets, these were probably 2 players among a half dozen or so he had firmly in his mind along with flagg, harper, ace, etc.

[Netaman]

This is a pretty "holy crap" good article on Demin from swish theory. the TL/DR is that from someone who was low on him, at a relook he thinks he's a better prospect than Giddey, albeit extremely comparable.

https://theswishtheory.com/2025-nba-draft-articles/2025/07/the-case-for-egor-demin/

this was posted today so post-Summer League, and this kicker makes the way the shot looked in summer league all the more important for optimism.

Ultimately, so many of the warts Draft Twitter has ascribed to Egor are by virtue of his 3P bricklaying. He has real red flags, and his floor is far lower than I’d usually be comfortable selecting in the top 10. But Egor is tall and smart, he can accumulate 3s and stocks without fouling, and he can efficiently self-create inside the arc. He passes like very few we’ve seen with his size. He managed to raise the offensive ceiling for a dominant BYU offense. The upside is hard to ignore with Egor, and his unorthodoxy is riveting.

He just needs to make those damn threes.

[Karate Diop]

It's easy to forget that we're talking about 19 year olds, they still have physically matured - for every absolute freak at 19 there are 10 more that need patience and developmental guidance / reps to realize their potential... As much of a circus the Nets have been recently, they're developmental staff appears to consistently be top notch. There's something a bit Spursian in their approach which bodes well for the future.