The Phoenix Suns just made one of the savviest low-key moves of the offseason, signing EuroLeague champion and former Lakers forward Nigel Hayes-Davis to a fully guaranteed one-year deal. At 30, Hayes-Davis isn’t a flashy pickup, but he might be exactly the kind of plug-and-play piece Phoenix needs around its stars—Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. And if his recent rise overseas is any indication, the Suns might’ve just landed one of the most battle-tested, underappreciated wings in basketball. Let’s get to the most important question, then: Who is Nigel Hayes-Davis?
Early life and family
Nigel Hayes-Davis didn’t just grow up in Ohio—he grew into something special there. Born on December 16, 1994, in Westerville, he eventually found his rhythm in Toledo, where life with his parents, Talaya and Albert Davis, and his siblings—Kenny, Alaya, and Alana—laid the groundwork for everything to come.
By the time he was tearing it up at Whitmer High School, it was clear this kid wasn’t built like everyone else. He was a 6’7” do-it-all forward, an ESPN Top-100 recruit who it seemed could score, rebound, pass, and block shots in his sleep. As a senior, he averaged 15.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 54% from the field. Two words: efficient and dominant. Over four years, he racked up 1,333 points, 766 rebounds, 294 assists, and set the school record with 163 blocks. He once dropped 38 points as a freshman. And yeah—he played football too, just for fun. Jeez! My man was a born athlete.
Then college came calling in 2013, and he went with Wisconsin. That’s where he turned his potential into history. Over four years and 150 games (112 as a starter), Hayes-Davis scored 1,857 points—the third-highest total in program history—while also collecting 802 rebounds and 319 assists. No one else at Wisconsin has ever ranked top-10 in all three of those categories. He helped lead the Badgers to four straight NCAA Tournaments, including back-to-back Final Four runs in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, he played in the national championship game against Duke.
And in 2017, he delivered one of the most clutch moments in school history: a game-winning layup to knock out No. 1 seed Villanova. That shot didn’t just seal the win—it earned him NCAA All-East Region honors. From Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman to First-Team All-Big Ten as a senior, Hayes-Davis wasn’t just consistent—he was unforgettable. Only two players in Big Ten history have ever reached 1,800+ points, 700+ rebounds, and 300+ assists. He’s one of them.
But what makes him really stand out? It’s the stuff that never shows up on a stat sheet. In 2021, he made a quiet but powerful change—he legally added “Davis” to his last name in honor of his stepfather, Albert. “He married a woman with four kids and gave us everything,” he said. “When I made the change, I didn’t even tell him. I just showed him the back of my jersey.” That moment—pure, personal, and caught on camera during his EuroLeague career—quickly went viral.
And off the court, he’s got layers. He once invented and patented a portable hot dog griller, inspired by his mom’s signature buttered buns. “It was a cast-iron plate and melted butter. I thought, this is genius,” he said. In that same spirit of honoring family, he also launched the Talaya Davis Panther Fund in 2021, named after his mom, to support underprivileged students from his old high school. Even in the gym, Hayes-Davis sees the game differently. He’s a relentless note-taker. When he joined the USA Select Team, he literally wrote down everything Stephen Curry said. “It’s guarded by my cat,” he joked.
Career Highlights—EuroLeague
Still, even with everything he’d done, the 2017 NBA Draft came and went without his name being called. It stung. “I knew I had to take the hard way in,” he later admitted. And he did just that—signing on for Summer League with the Knicks, grinding in the G League with Westchester, and grabbing short-term NBA stints with the Lakers (2 games), Raptors (2 games), and Kings (5 games). When the dust settled, his total read: 9 NBA games, 3.6 minutes per contest, and not much else to show.
So what did he do next? He pivoted. In 2018, Hayes-Davis packed his bags and went overseas, beginning a new chapter in Turkey with Galatasaray. It was a reset. But things really started to click once he landed in Lithuania with Žalgiris Kaunas. By the 2020–21 EuroLeague season, he was averaging 9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and hitting 39.4% from three. That year, he helped Žalgiris capture the Lithuanian league title. It was a turning point. When his coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius moved to Barcelona, Hayes-Davis followed him. But the fit wasn’t right. “The worst year of my basketball life,” he said. “I wanted to quit multiple times. But that’s also where I grew the most.”
That difficult stretch ended up being the launchpad. In 2022, he signed with Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul, and under coach Dimitris Itoudis, something finally clicked. He found the right role, the right system, and the confidence to play his way. And by the 2024–25 season, Hayes-Davis was on another level. In 39 EuroLeague games, he poured in 650 points across 1,222+ minutes. His shooting splits? Sharp: 49.8% from two, 41% from three (91-of-222), and 90.8% from the free-throw line. He added 206 rebounds, 65 assists, 44 steals, 8 blocks, and led the EuroLeague in fouls drawn with 158. His performance index rating? A career-best 713. That’s not just impressive—it’s elite.
And then came the moment that tied it all together. In Abu Dhabi, under the brightest lights, Fenerbahçe knocked off AS Monaco 81–70 in the 2025 EuroLeague Final to claim the club’s second-ever title. Hayes-Davis was sensational—23 points, 5-of-6 from deep, 9 rebounds, 2 steals—and was named Final Four MVP. The moment hit hard. “I didn’t think I’d ever get back here,” he said through emotion. “I went undrafted. I was cut. I was overlooked. But I kept working.”
And it wasn’t just that one title. He helped Fenerbahçe win back-to-back Turkish National Championships in 2023–24 and 2024–25, and secured the Turkish National Cup in both seasons too. For a guy once turned down by the NBA, Nigel Hayes-Davis found another way into the spotlight and flipped the script.
Nigel Hayes-Davis joins the Suns
Now, after everything he’s been through, Nigel Hayes-Davis is bringing that same grit and resilience back to the NBA—this time in the desert. The Phoenix Suns have signed the 30-year-old forward to a fully guaranteed one-year deal, marking his first time back in the league since the 2017–18 season. And he’s not just any signing—he’s the very first move under new Suns GM Brian Gregory, and it’s clear they’re going for fit over flash. At 6-foot-8, 235 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, Hayes-Davis checks every box Phoenix was missing last season: size, versatility, defensive edge, and that unshakable toughness he’s carried with him everywhere he’s played.
Shams Charania broke the news on X, reporting: “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.”
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
For some quick context, the Suns finished 11th in the West last season with a 36–46 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020. And that was with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal on the roster. So now, they’re making changes, and part of that new direction is turning to Nigel Hayes-Davis. In 34 EuroLeague games in 2025, he averaged 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals—while racking up just about every title Europe had to offer.
They’re serious about reshaping the roster around Booker and making a real push to bounce back. It all started with a blockbuster—sending Kevin Durant to the Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, five second-round picks, and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 Draft, which they used to select Duke’s 7-footer, Khaman Maluach. Then, on draft night, they stayed aggressive—trading for Charlotte big man Mark Williams and picking up Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the second round. This isn’t just minor tweaking—it’s a full-scale reset.
After years of bouncing around the globe, sharpening every part of his game and evolving into one of Europe’s most dependable two-way forwards, Hayes-Davis is finally back in the NBA. Sure, he’s older now—but he’s also tougher, wiser, and battle-ready.
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