It's like asking a bunch of kids, who are just learning how to swim, to make sure the other one doesn't drown. That's the tightrope Jordi Fernández has walked as the Nets push through the final stretch of a season that has gone sideways in the standings, even as the organization stays committed to a development plan built for patience.
The jumper gives Brooklyn spacing, and it gives Démin a base to build on. But the next step is the one that changes how defenses treat him. It's not another layer of shot-making. It's learning how to consistently get into the paint and get to where he wants to go on the floor, on his terms, against NBA bodies and NBA game plans.
Marvin Bagley III scored 22 points, Naji Marshall had 21 and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Brooklyn Nets 123-114 on Tuesday night after both teams arrived in New York earlier in the day. Both clubs played road games on Sunday and neither was able to fly into the New York area because of a blizzard.
"Day'Ron is special," Dëmin said. "His superpower is rebounding. A lot of his points are putbacks and those aren't easy. I joke with him that the last couple of weeks he's been looking for me a lot coming off handoffs and ball screens, and I tell him when he sets screens, I'm going to find him. The more you play together, the more confidence you build, and he makes the game easier for everybody."
The Chicago Bulls (24-29) will be trying to stop a four-game losing streak when visiting the Brooklyn Nets (14-37) on Monday, February 9, 2026 at Barclays Center. It will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on YES and CHSN. The Bulls enter this matchup after a 136-120 loss to the Nuggets on Saturday. The Nets came out on top in their most recent game 127-113 against the Wizards on Saturday. In the losing effort, Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 21 points. In the Nets' win, Michael Porter Jr. led the team with 23 points (adding six rebounds and three assists).
The LA Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors have agreed on a multi-team trade sending Chris Paul to the Raptors and Ochai Agbaji, a 2032 Raptors second-rounder and cash to the Nets, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. The Raptors will not require Chris Paul to report to the team and could still discuss moving him before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline.
Reaves had 15 points in 21 minutes after missing the last 19 games with a strained left calf. He entered late in the first quarter with the Lakers already well in control and helped them continue to pour it on during their 20-for-25 shooting start to the game. Jake LaRavia scored 18 points for the Lakers, who finished 5-3 on their road trip and play next against Philadelphia at home Thursday night, a few hours after the NBA's trade deadline has passed.
In June, he became their first lottery pick in 15 years. And now he's the first Net named to the Rising Stars Competition at All-Star Weekend since 2019. The tanking Nets headed into Tuesday's tilt in Phoenix with the fifth-worst record in the NBA, but they're the youngest team in the league. They have a record five first-round rookies on the roster, led by Dëmin, and the teenage point guard will be Brooklyn's first representative at All-Star weekend since Kevin Durant in 2022.
Egor Dëmin was named to the Castrol Rising Stars roster as part of NBA All-Star 2026, becoming the first member of the Nets to earn the honor since Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs did it back in 2019. For a rookie class that arrived with more questions than certainty, his selection stands out as a clear signal that Brooklyn's developmental push is starting to get noticed beyond its own walls.
