The Atlanta Hawks set the stage for them to deliver on a key tenet of general manager Onsi Saleh’s philosophy around building out the roster, selecting the best player available in the draft, and that could be BYU’s Egor Demin, according to a new (and presumably the final) mock draft.
Adding Kristaps Porzingis does not, in and of itself, preclude the Hawks from doubling down at center. It does make finding a backup point guard a greater need than another pivot, though.
Demin is a 6-foot-9 guard with a skill set that evokes memories of a young Luka Doncic.
“Demin is another player who has been tough to pin down in terms of his landing spot, having worked out for the vast majority of franchises inside the top 20. Teams believe he’s a possibility for Toronto, Portland and Chicago, as well as a sleeper target for Brooklyn, but it’s possible he’ll slip past that -- at which point there’s a best-available case for a club such as the Hawks to simply take a swing,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote on June 25.
“At his size, Demin's potential versatility as a perimeter playmaker stands out in the context of this class. The development of his jumper, something he has worked to showcase in private, is one of the more pivotal swing skills for any prospect.”
Onsi Saleh gets another opportunity to back up comments
Such a decision is right up Saleh’s alley, according to the executive himself, who met the media for the first time in his official capacity on Monday.
He touted his background as helping him develop his philosophy.
“When it comes to the draft, I always pick the best player,” Saleh told reporters on June 23. “That’s my philosophy. I don’t believe in picking for a position. If there’s a guy that makes sense for us, we’re going to take them. [It is] always the best player.”
Moreover, The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer has already linked the Hawks to Demin, who averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists for the Cougars in 2024-25.
He was also named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
“Many front offices appear intrigued by the talent that complements Demin's lengthy frame. It is no stretch to say that he is the highest-rated NBA Draft prospect with Real Madrid in his background since a certain Luka Dončić,” Fischer wrote on June 20.
“The position Demin plays to start his NBA career will ultimately be determined by the team that selects him. The elastic prospect nonetheless believes that he will be ripping rebounds that quickly turn into fast breaks from Day 1. He’ll certainly have to shoot the long ball better at the next level than his 27.3% success rate at BYU, but he’s only 19.”
Saleh said he was “locked in” with four-time All-Star Trae Young, who has remained subject to trade speculation amid the team’s uncertain direction.
He proved that by trading for Porzingis.
The first round of the draft – Round 2 is on Thursday – offers Saleh’s next opportunity to quickly deliver on the modest expectations he set during his intro. Whether that means he selects Demin or another prospect, Saleh’s prints will already be all over this roster by night’s end.