Former Wisconsin Badgers star Nigel Hayes-Davis was one of the biggest stars in European basketball last year when he decided to take another shot at the NBA.
After half a season with the Phoenix Suns, his pro career in the U.S. is back on pause.
He was traded this week at the NBA trade deadline to the Milwaukee Bucks, who immediately waived him and made him a free agent.
A new report from EuroHoops.net suggests that Hayes-Davis could be heading back to the EuroLeague.
Nigel Hayes-Davis wants to return to the EuroLeague as the highest paid player of the league. Hapoel Tel Aviv, Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce have contacted the player and know his demands. No decision yet…
More on @Eurohoopsnet
— Aris Barkas (@arbarkas) February 6, 2026Sign Up For the Wisconsin Daily Digest – OnSI’s Free Wisconsin Badgers Newsletter
He will be a hot commodity overseas.
When he left for the NBA last summer, he had just won the EuroLeague championship and was named MVP.
In the title game, Hayes-Davis led his team with 23 points and nine rebounds, on the court for all but three minutes of the contest.
He looked more like the dominant forward he was at Wisconsin, where he ranks third on the program’s all time scoring list with 1,857 points.
Related: Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes-Davis wins MVP in EuroLeague Final Four
Nigel Hayes-Davis’ Bucks tenure in GIF form… pic.twitter.com/tNga03R3Ib
— Eric Boynton (@ericboynton) February 6, 2026
His performance attracted the attention of multiple NBA teams and ultimately earned him his shot with the Suns.
This season, he averaged just over seven minutes played across the 27 games he appeared in, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds.
It doesn’t appear to be enough for another NBA team to take a chance on him, but he’ll have plenty of suitors in Europe.
It might not be the pro career he envisioned when he was leading the Badgers to greatness, but he’s found a way to carve out an impressive resume overseas that few others can match.
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