In an interview with Bilal Baran Yardımcı of Eurohoops, former Wisconsin standout Nigel Hayes-Davis confirmed he hoped to return to the NBA this offseason and drew some interest, but a deal didn’t come to fruition.
“At the end of the day, it didn’t happen,” he said. “The reason isn’t important. I’ve always been someone who focuses on the things I can control. I feel like I did everything I could to prove my abilities. Sometimes things don’t go your way. Maybe this is better for me. I went through a similar process last summer, and I came back and broke a EuroLeague scoring record. We don’t know what the universe has in store for me this year, but we’ll see together.”
Hayes-Davis, who earned a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team with Fenerbahce in 2023/24, re-signed with the Turkish team on a three-year deal. The 29-year-old also played on the U.S. Select Team this summer and raved about the experience.
“It was something I could only experience once in a lifetime,” he told Eurohoops. “It was the best three weeks of my life; I can’t remember being happier. Everything, from sunrise to sunset, was amazing. I’m very happy and grateful for the experience. Being in the camp, the things I learned, the atmosphere, the travels with the team—everything was perfect. There are people who would pay a lot of money to have these experiences. It was an unforgettable experience. I’m so glad I recorded most of it. Being able to share and watch it again in the future will be very special for me.”
Here are some more international notes:
- Evan Fournier and Jordan Nwora also recently sat down for interviews with Antonis Stroggylakis and Semih Tuna of Eurohoops, respectively. After spending the past 12 years in the NBA, French wing Fournier returned to Europe with Greek club Olympiacos, while former second-rounder Nwora, who had spent the past four years in the league, signed with Turkey’s Anadolu Efes.
- Aris Barkas of Eurohoops cites several sources in listing the top 10 EuroLeague salaries of 2024/25, noting that the values presented take into account local taxes. Sasha Vezenkov ($4.1MM), Shane Larkin ($3.7MM) and Mike James ($3MM) comprise the top three, with several other former NBA players included as well, including Fournier and Hayes-Davis.
- Turkish team Merkezefendi has signed former NBA players Sharife Cooper and Tyler Cook, the team announced (Twitter links; hat tips to Sportando). Cooper, who signed with a Chinese team in April, inked a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers in February but didn’t receive any playing time. The former second-round pick, who played 13 regular season games with Atlanta in 2021/22 while on a two-way deal, has spent the past two seasons with Cleveland’s NBA G League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Cook, meanwhile, suited up for five NBA teams over the course of his three seasons in the league from 2019-22. He played with Joventut in Spain last season.