Nets’ Demin injury clouds training camp as Marks sets timeline for rookie

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said rookie Egor Dëmin is dealing with a plantar fascia tear this offseason and will be limited early in training camp, though the team expects him to be ready for opening night. Marks stressed the injury should not derail the season, and he voiced confidence in the 2025 lottery pick’s readiness as the Nets begin preparations for the season.

"He wants to get out there," Marks said, outlining that Dëmin has been limited after the summer league and hasn’t had the off-season he would have liked. "He’s been a little bit limited with the plantar fascia tear after summer league. So he hasn’t potentially had the summer that he would’ve loved. But at the same time, size, position, the way he plays, the way he sees the game and so forth … really enjoyed being around him and looking forward to getting him out there and seeing what he can do."

Pressed on a timeline, Marks indicated the team does not anticipate missing the start of the season. "He’ll be limited for the first part of camp with what he’s going to be doing, but hopefully there’s a buildup through the first couple of weeks here, and then he gets out there," Marks said. "But we have no issues with thinking he’s going to miss, you know, the start of the season."

Dëmin himself downplayed the injury when speaking with reporters. "I’m not a doctor, so it’s hard for me to even tell what’s going on with it. So for me, it’s just important to stay present. I’m trying to focus on whatever plan I have from the physicians and whatever timing I have from them,” the Nets’ lottery pick said. The 2025 camp notes confirm Dëmin’s status remains day-to-day as he ramps up activity.

The Nets also updated the health of other young players entering camp. Drake Powell, who missed the Summer League with a left knee tendinopathy, and Haywood Highsmith, who is recovering from knee surgery, both suggested they could be ready for Oct. 22. Powell said his knee has improved as he progresses toward a full recovery, while coach Jordi Fernández noted Powell is not yet participating in 5-on-5 drills but should be ready to go for preseason if everything remains on track. "My knee has been doing good," Powell said. "[I’m] not playing 5-on-5 right now, but I’m building up and hopefully I’ll be ready for the preseason games." Marks added: "He’s not playing 5-on-5 as it stands now, but the hope is he’ll be in camp and doing drills. He didn’t participate in open gym, but at the same time, we have no issues with him being held out of camp and so forth. We’ll build him up through there, and he should be good to go for hopefully the preseason games."

Meanwhile, Nic Claxton said the sore back that plagued him last season appears healed, and his focus is on consistency and leadership. "Consistency every day, showing up, growing my game … being a leader consistently, keeping my mental in a good place and not ‘crashing out’ out there," Claxton said, underscoring the team’s emphasis on steady performance as they build around a younger core.

Rookie Ben Saraf has impressed with his poise, and veteran mentorship is a point of emphasis for Fernández, who praised Noah Clowney after a noticeable weight gain. Clowney, who played at roughly 220-225 pounds last season, weighed in at 234 on the eve of camp. Brooklyn native Terance Mann, who grew up near the Barclays Center, commented on how much the area has changed with new construction and facilities, noting the transformation from the old Modell’s to a modern Brooklyn Basketball Training Center.

The Nets enter camp amid a broader rebuild, focused on integrating a mix of young talents with veteran leadership as they chase a more competitive trajectory in a crowded Eastern Conference. The start of camp is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025, the day before the team’s on-court activities ramp up for the season, providing an initial gauge of how quickly Dëmin, Powell, Highsmith and the rest of the roster can contribute as Brooklyn plots its path forward. Mann’s perspective on the city’s changing landscape reflects the franchise’s intent to establish a local connection with a new generation of players and fans alike, while the on-court evaluations will determine how quickly the team can translate potential into results.

As the Nets work through camp, Marks and Fernández will weigh injury timelines, player development, and the roster’s overall balance to determine how aggressively to push readiness for October, including the possibility of early-season adjustments in the lineup as players ramp up for meaningful minutes in the regular season.