Brooklyn Nets NBA Draft Notebook: GM Sean Marks Seen Scouting VJ Edgecombe and Egor Demin

The Brooklyn Nets general manager was seen at Baylor vs. BYU.

Jan 11, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks was spotted at the Baylor vs. BYU game on Jan. 28.

The Nets’ chief decision maker was present in Provo, Utah, to evaluate two potential top-five picks, as well as a handful of other prospects with some NBA hopes. Brooklyn is slated to have four first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, as well as their own second-rounder. The team has 31 draft picks — 15 first-rounders, 16 second-rounders — over the next seven seasons.

Marks has never picked higher in the draft, but he’ll have a chance this year — and Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe or BYU’s Egor Demin are possibilities for the Nets. Edgecombe finished with 28 points, four rebounds and five assists in this game, while Demin had 15 points, two rebounds, six assists and four turnovers.

Edgecombe is a 19-year-old freshman swingman whose season and draft stock are trending up at the perfect time. He is a tenacious defender at the point of attack with great advanced numbers (3.3 BLK%, 4.2 STL%, per Bart Torvik). Edgecombe’s offense is inconsistent, but the Bahamian prospect’s jumper appears protectable enough despite some question marks surrounding it. Another item evaluators are wondering about is whether Edgecombe will be more of an off-ball guard or a smaller wing at the next level, or whether he can truly play as a point guard.

Demin, the first-year playmaker for the Cougars, had almost the opposite trajectory to Edgecombe so far. The Russian prospect started his season on a tear, albeit against low level competition. Once the demands increased, Demin struggled. His self-creation and separation off the dribble became bigger worries, and it looked as though his jumper had vanished despite continuing to create some advantages as a passer. From late November to late January, he had a 10-game stretch averaging 8.4 points on 31.5% from the field and 11.6% from three. 

The Nets GM was part of a 32-member NBA front office contingent from 15 different teams that was present at the game. That’s no surprise given who was playing. In addition to Edgecombe and Demin, it is also worth tracking Baylor’s Robert Wright III and Norchad Omier, as well as BYU’s Kanon Catchings.

Omier is a transfer from Miami (and Arkansas State before that). The Nicaraguan prospect is posting a double-double of 15.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season. The biggest knocks on his NBA potential are his tweener skill set in the front court and his age (he’ll turn 24 in August).

Wright is a freshman at Baylor. He might be familiar from his high school days at Montverde Academy, the Florida-based program that churns out pros. The Nets currently have Ben Simmons, D’Angelo Russell, Day’Ron Sharpe and Dariq Whitehead — all Montverde alum — on the team. Cooper Flagg, who will surely be the number one pick in the 2025 draft, also played for Montverde.

Catchings is the nephew of the WNBA’s Tamika Catchings. Tamika, a Hall of Famer, was a one-time WNBA champion, 10-time all-star and four-time Olympic gold medalist during her playing carer. The BYU freshman is averaging 9.5 points on 36.1% from three (4.9 attempts) per game this season. 

Catchings’ game against Baylor was his best performance of the season, with 23 points in 25 minutes on a perfect 8-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from three.. He’s not guaranteed to be a one-and-done, and would probably be best suited returning to school for another year of development.

Marks has also previously been sighted in New Jersey and Australia. For the former, multiple trips to evaluate Rutgers freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Harper looks like the next number two pick, while Bailey’s range appears to start with the third pick. Meanwhile, the trip abroad was during the NBL Blitz, the Australian league’s preseason tournament that has become an NBA Summer League equivalent of sorts. Marks watched the likes of Alex Toohey and Malique Lewis.

The Nets are currently 15-33. Brooklyn’s next game is on Feb. 1 against the Houston Rockets.

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