The Phoenix Suns are making a calculated addition to their roster by signing a seasoned European standout coming off a championship-winning season.
Nigel Hayes-Davis Returns to the NBA, Signing With Suns After EuroLeague Breakout
The Suns have signed EuroLeague Finals MVP Nigel Hayes-Davis to a fully guaranteed one-year deal, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“Fenerbahçe’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,” Charania wrote. “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
The 30-year-old forward joins the franchise after leading Fenerbahçe to the 2025 EuroLeague title and establishing himself as one of Europe’s most consistent wing threats.
Hayes-Davis averaged 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and shot 41.0% from 3-point range in nearly six attempts per game during Fenerbahçe’s title run, culminating in a Finals MVP performance.
He posted 23 points and nine rebounds to lead his side past Monaco in the championship game. The former Wisconsin standout has turned heads with his development as a reliable 3-and-D forward, something Phoenix sorely lacked on the wings last season.
With the Suns’ roster featuring a crowded backcourt and heavily stacked frontcourt, Hayes-Davis adds balance to a thin wing rotation alongside Royce O’Neale. His proven shooting consistency (38.0% or more from deep over the last three EuroLeague seasons) and playoff experience could help the Suns improve their spacing and perimeter defense.
From NBA Fringe to European Star
Undrafted in 2017, Hayes-Davis had a brief NBA stint with the Lakers, Raptors, and Kings during the 2017–18 season. He totaled just nine NBA games before heading overseas, where his game matured significantly. His breakout began at Galatasaray in Turkey, followed by stints with Žalgiris Kaunas, Barcelona, and eventually Fenerbahçe.
At Žalgiris, he averaged 9.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in his second season and was instrumental in their EuroLeague Final Four appearance. He then joined FC Barcelona in 2021, where he reached another Final Four and gained valuable postseason experience.
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Hayes-Davis’s biggest leap came with Fenerbahçe, where he rewrote the EuroLeague record books, dropping 50 points in a single game in March 2024. He followed it up with consistent performances throughout the 2024–25 campaign, including MVP honors in EuroLeague Round 14 and playoff averages of 16 points, 5.3 rebounds, and three assists per game.
The Suns’ gamble on a former NBA role player turned EuroLeague star echoes the path of Guerschon Yabusele, who returned to the NBA and thrived with the Sixers. If Hayes-Davis can replicate even a portion of that trajectory, Phoenix may have unearthed a valuable rotational piece for a deep postseason run.
