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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Wisconsin basketball star Nigel Hayes-Davis officially joins Phoenix Suns
Former Wisconsin basketball star Nigel Hayes-Davis officially joined the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Roughly one month removed from the former Badger reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal with the franchise, Hayes-Davis' journey back to the NBA is now official. For the first time since the 2017-18 regular season, the Ohio native will lace up during an NBA regular season this fall. Hayes-Davis' return to the United States' most coveted professional basketball league follows his hectic spring and summer run as a member of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Turkey. To conclude the 2024-25 EuroLeague campaign, Hayes-Davis helped guide Fenerbahce to an 81-70 victory over Monaco in the final with a 23-point, nine-rebound performance. The output netted him EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors and the club's first title since 2017. After the historic run, Boston Celtics' head coach Joe Mazulla traveled to Istanbul for the Bachesehir - Fenerbahçe game in early June, reigniting Hayes-Davis' reality of playing in the NBA once more. The previous summer, Hayes-Davis earned a Turkish League Championship and MVP honor in Turkey's Basketbol Süper Ligi Finals, where he averaged over 17 points per game to snag finals MVP honors. That pair of runs served as enough evidence for an NBA squad to take a chance on the decorated college and European basketball star. The 6-foot-8 forward suited up in nine games for the Kings, Lakers and Raptors during the 2017-18 slate. He will now return to the hardwood alongside players such as Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams. As a Badger from 2013-17, Hayes-Davis was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year (2014), a two-time third-team All-Big Ten (2015, 2017) honoree and an All-Big Ten first team selection (2016). He averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 150 appearances. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Wisconsin basketball star pockets EuroLeague title, Final Four MVP
Former Wisconsin basketball star pockets EuroLeague title, Final Four MVP Former Wisconsin basketball star Nigel Hayes-Davis guided Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to a 2024-25 EuroLeague title on Sunday. Fenerbahce clinched the title with an 81-70 victory over Monaco, securing the club's first championship since 2017. Hayes-Davis' 23 points, nine rebounds and two steals across nearly 37 minutes of action netted him 2025 EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors, capping a stellar playoff run for the former Wisconsin star. Most notably, Hayes-Davis went 14-of-14 from the charity stripe for his squad, a bounce-back effort from his seven-point outing in the semifinals against reigning champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on May 23. Hayes-Davis averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game in the Final Four. In 39 total games during the 2024-25 slate, Hayes-Davis averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.2 minutes per appearance. He did so off 49.8% from the field, 41.0% from beyond the arc and 90.8% from the charity stripe in one of the more efficient individual seasons across EuroLeague action. Hayes-Davis' recent title comes less than one year after he secured a Turkish League Championship and MVP honor in Turkey's Basketbol Süper Ligi Finals. In that series, the Ohio native averaged over 17 points per game to snag finals MVP honors. Hayes-Davis also competed alongside the USA Men's National Team during their exhibition schedule prior to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. He and fellow former Badger Micah Potter suited up in exhibitions in Las Vegas, London and Abu Dhabi as practice players for NBA veterans including LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. While Hayes-Davis has already celebrated his 30th birthday, his success overseas could ignite some NBA rumors this offseason. He suited up in nine games for the Kings, Lakers and Raptors during the 2017-18 slate following his career in Madison. During that four-year tenure, Hayes-Davis was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year (2014), was a two-time third-team All-Big Ten (2015, 2017) honoree and made the All-Big Ten first team in 2016. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
