Where does BYU's Egor Demin land in post-lottery mock drafts?

One year ago, Egor Demin was still an international prospect playing for the Real Madrid U18 team.

On Monday, after a successful freshman season at BYU, Demin was present at the NBA Draft Lottery, watching which teams could possibly select him come June.

Now that the lottery is finished, let's take a look at where national outlets have Demin being selected.

CBS Sports: No. 10 to the Rockets

The Rockets have one of the best young cores in the NBA, and their future after earning the Western Conference's No. 2 seed this past season is bright. However, there are two major problems with this pick.

Houston is the one of the frontrunners to try to make a trade for two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Any trade between the Rockets and Bucks would almost certainly involve the No. 10 pick, sending Demin to a rebuild in Milwaukee.

The Rockets are also overcrowded at the moment, and many of their young players fail to see the court, not out of a lack of talent, but out of an abundance of players on the roster. Last year's No. 3 pick, Reed Sheppard, only appeared in 52 games, and the Rockets' 2023 first round pick, Cam Whittmore, was no stranger to a DNP in his second season.

Demin going to the Rockets would mean that he will be on a win-now team with a bright future, but it could also mean that he is an asset in a blockbuster trade, and might struggle to see playing time as a rookie.

ESPN: No. 12 to the Bulls

This is a full circle moment, considering that one of Demin's main comparisons is Bulls' starting point guard, Josh Giddey. Both players have good size and are passing aficionados, but have limits when it comes to scoring.

The Bulls will have a big decision this summer, whether or not they are willing to extend Giddey going forward. If the two parties can't agree to terms, Demin might be walking into playing time in the Windy City.

The Bulls have been in "play-in purgatory" for years. They are good enough to maybe snag the eight-seed, but don't have a feasible plan to become Eastern Conference contenders and wind up with a mid-level draft pick.

Drafting Demin doesn't really move the needle for Chicago.

Yahoo Sports: No. 14 to the Spurs

A seemingly perfect franchise for Demin, the Spurs are one of the most well run organizations in all of sports and love international players. He would also have a teammate that any pass-first point guard would love to have: 7-foot-5 all star and future face of the league, Victor Wembanyama.

The guard room would be a little crowded with San Antonio's midseason acquisition of De'Aaron Fox, rookie of the year Stehpon Castle, and Devin Vassell.

And if you're going to talk about a potential Antetokounmpo trade, the Spurs — who also hold the No. 2 pick — have one of the most compelling packages of any team wanting to trade for the future hall of famer. Demin would likely be included in said package.

San Antonio would be a great place for Demin to develop as a player, but he would not be the starting point guard for the Spurs any time soon.

USA Today: No. 15 to the Thunder

Oklahoma City has as good a future as anyone in the league, and just might be holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy next month. But similar to the Rockets, it is a crowded locker room.

Even with Demin likely riding the bench, who better to learn from than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who if not for Nikola Jokic, would have ran away with the NBA MVP. The Thunder develop their players very well, so while Demin won't get playing time right away, it could be a perfect fit long term.

Sports Illustrated: No. 17 to the Timberwolves

One of the more underrated spots for Demin, the Timberwolves only play two point guards in their rotation, Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Conley is serviceable, but will be playing in his 19th NBA season next year, and Alexander-Walker's ceiling is a backup who should not be playing 25 minutes a game.

Minnesota drafted an exciting guard in Rob Dillingham in 2024, but he failed to see meaningful playing time in his rookie season.

Egor Demin can beautifully orchestrate the pick and roll with Rudy Gobert, and would be on a team that wants to win now.

Prediction: No. 14 to the Spurs

It almost makes too much sense.

Why would anyone expect the Spurs to do anything other than draft an international prospect — that they don't really need — that specializes in ball movement and passing.

It might be too harsh to call Egor Demin a "project," but he is definitely not a finished product. Demin's struggles with ball security and shooting will mean that some time on the bench will be a definite.

Since the Spurs already hold the No. 2 pick, why not take a flyer on a player with high basketball I.Q. that can potentially be a legitimate player on a contending team in a few years?