Jon Horst and the Bucks front office have decided to waive journeyman Nigel Hayes-Davis, who got another shot in the NBA this season with the Phoenix Suns after a long and successful career overseas.
Hayes-Davis, a wing-forward combo, actually would have fitted a position of need for the Bucks. But at 31 years old and with a questionable skillset to succeed in a Giannis-led offence, the Bucks opted to put more eggs in Ousmane Dieng’s basket.
The journeyman averaged 1.3 PPG, 0.3 APG, and 1.2 RPG on 32.6% from the field and just 12.5% from three with the Suns. He had his first NBA stint way back in the 2017-18 season with three different teams—the Lakers, Raptors, and Kings—before departing for EuroLeague opportunities.
Hayes-Davis played for three teams across Europe’s premier competition: Zalgiris (2019-2021), Barcelona (2021-2022), and Fenerbahce (2022-2025). In 2025, he led Fenerbahce to a EuroLeague title, winning the Final Four MVP as well.
The Bucks now have a vacant spot on the 15-man roster as well as a vacant two-way spot. You imagine they’d be looking long and hard into converting Pete Nance—currently on a two-way deal—to a standard deal, creating multiple two-way openings. Suffice to say, there’s still a lot to play out in Milwaukee.