The world was spinning perfectly around today when Nigel Hayes-Davis was part of a trade package from the Phoenix Suns to the Milwaukee Bucks. He was coming home to Wisconsin in a reunion that Badger fans were loving, but then, in a ruthless NBA move that happens all the time in these trades, Hayes-Davis was cut by the Bucks after the trade was completed.
It's the savage business part of the NBA, as Milwaukee didn't really need him but took him in the package to help offset salaries or roster space, or who knows what else. But he ended up being part of the roster churn that happens across the league at the NBA trade deadline.
Bucks waived Nigel Hayes-Davis as part of the trade https://t.co/Qzi8FZkq6n
— Ryan Wing (@RyanWingFOX11) February 6, 2026
Nigel Hayes-Davis was waived after the trade to Milwaukee was completed
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There was a lot of excitement about the renunion to Wisconsin and even Badger fans ready to see a former Wisconsin fan favorite again, this time in the NBA. However, that won't come to fruition; he's now seeking another NBA contract.
He was a star last season in the EuroLeague, winning the 2025 Championship as well as the Final Four MVP. He also had a single-game record of 50 points last season for his EuroLeague team. This is what prompted the Phoenix Suns to bring him in on an NBA contract. If he was that dominant overseas, there had to be something on a regular NBA contract.
However, he struggled for the Suns, averaging 7.2 minutes, 1.3 points, and 1.2 rebounds a game. He hasn't shown the same level of production that he was able to accomplish at Wisconsin or the EuroLeague.
To show the cutthroat nature of the NBA, the only details the Milwaukee Bucks provided in their press release about the trade were these: "Nigel Hayes-Davis, who was also acquired by the Bucks from the Suns in the three-team trade, has been waived." That's a brutal blow for Hayes-Davis and any Wisconsin fan who was hoping for a beautiful homecoming.