The NBA is always showcasing some new talents. The league is constantly transforming and becoming something new. In 2026 there are some pretty good players to keep track of. The most prominent ones appear to be Jaime Jaquez of the Miami Heat; Dalton Knecht of the Los Angeles Lakers and Egor Dëmin of the Brooklyn Nets. The last one has already put together a good following between basketball fans in the Big Apple.
New York fans are experiencing a magical moment, not only in following the Knicks’ good results but also in being part of the rise of this local talent that came from Russia. To make the experience even more engaging, bettors and enthusiasts can explore NY betting offers dedicated to fans in the Northeast, which are perfect for tracking down stats and performances of the new NBA stars during their first games in 2026. Let’s check out how the aforementioned players play and why every enthusiast should keep an eye on them in the near future.
Jaime Jaquez
Born in Camarillo in 2001, Jaquez is a Mexican basketball player with US citizenship. He mainly plays as guard but can also keep his ground as a small forward. His sister, Gabriela, two years younger, is an interesting WNBA prospect playing for the UCLA Bruins.
The Heat guard faced some difficulties in October and November but lately started to score consistently and is now playing with determination and desire to improve. Coach Spoelstra loves to see it and thinks that Jaquez has the mentality it takes to play at this level. He still has to show more but, in his third year, he’s probably ready to make a jump in production and become a centerpiece of the franchise sooner rather than later.
Dalton Knecht
The right-handed small forward playing with the Lakers is a young stud that is already showing his importance in the rotation of a team that can count on superstars like Luka Doncic and LeBron James. In his second year, Knecht is consistently relieving Doncic and doesn’t play a lot of minutes. Nonetheless, he always keeps it competitive and provides a good substitute for the great Luka.
LA is not at its best in December, because of the injuries that are keeping a lot of players sidelined. Their recent Christmas Day defeat against a good Houston Rockets team led by Kevin Durant showed the limits of the Californian franchise, which sits in 4th position in the Western Conference. The Lakers can do better and probably will in 2026, especially if second-string players like young Dalton Knecht will help out.
Egor Dëmin
The Russian point guard appears in good shape, even if the Nets aren’t. At all. The franchise may be thinking about tanking and could trade its best asset, Michael Porter Jr., in order to maximize the value of its first-round pick. He’s under contract for one more season but may be valuable to teams like the Detroit Pistons or Milwaukee Bucks, which are actually contenders, and bring expendable return to the Brooklyn-based franchise.
In the meantime, Dëmin is responding well to coach Fernandez’s challenges and doesn’t care too much about what will happen in the next few weeks or months. He is committed to grow as a man and as an athlete. The Russian player wants to show the world what he can do. He ranks second among rookies, at the moment, in offensive production and hit at least four three-pointers in each of the last six games played before the writing of this article. This is a good way of answering those pre-draft concerns about his outside shot skills.
We don’t know what the future holds for these young basketball players but who knows, maybe we will feature them on our NBA Stars section soon enough. They have the talent to explode and can make all the difference on court for their franchises, as soon as they develop their skills and become full NBA starters.
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