Mar 23, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Bronson Koenig (24), forward Nigel Hayes (10) and forward Ethan Happ (22) speak the media during practice the day before the East Regional semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Wisconsin basketball star returns to NBA on new deal after dominating Euroleague

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Cam Wilhorn | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 6:38 AM ET

Wisconsin Badgers fans may remember Nigel Hayes-Davis for becoming the second player in Big Ten history to log at least 1,800 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists.

Maybe you remember him as the sixth man for Wisconsin's "Make 'Em Believe" 2014-15 National Championship runner up squad.

Or maybe it's for the viral blunder in a postgame press conference when he got caught by a hot-mic calling a member of the media scrum "beautiful."

Regardless of how you knew him, the Hayes-Davis of today is one of the most accomplished players in Euroleague basketball and a high-caliber player that caught the eye of NBA teams.

Fenerbahce's Nigel Hayes-Davis – the 2025 Euroleague champion and finals MVP as well as Turkish Cup champion and MVP – has agreed to a fully guaranteed one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. The two-time Euroleague first-teamer returns to the States and NBA. pic.twitter.com/4f75izENgM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

Hayes-Davis will return to the U.S. professional ranks for the first time since 2017, when he appeared in nine games with three different teams as a rookie. He signed a one-year, fully guaranteed contract with the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Now 30 years old, Hayes-Davis has blossomed into one of the Euroleague's best players. He set the single-game Euroleague scoring record in March of 2024 after pouring in 50 points during a 103-68 win over ALBA Berlin while playing for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

The Toledo, Ohio native added 2025 Euroleague champion and finals MVP to his lengthy list of accolades overseas, averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 41 percent from three across the regular season and playoffs.

A two-time Euroleague first-teamer, Hayes-Davis will now be teammates in Phoenix with a pair of players he and the Badgers bounced during that magical 2015 NCAA Tournament run.

Devin Booker was part of the 38-and-done Kentucky team that Wisconsin upset in the Final Four and Dillon Brooks headlined an Oregon squad that Hayes-Davis and the Badgers defeated in the Sweet 16.

Despite his dazzling overseas resume, Hayes-Davis will be essentially starting from scratch in Phoenix. With how the Suns' roster stands at the moment, He is likely to compete with Ryan Dunn, Grayson Allen, Rasheer Fleming and Royce O'Neale for minutes at either forward position.