By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nigel Hayes-Davis was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, following a three-team trade involving the 31-year-old forward on Thursday.
Upon finalizing the deal, which also secured the services of French Ousmane Dieng, the Bucks placed Hayes-Davis on waivers.
A former NCAA standout with Wisconsin, his homecoming fell to an abrupt end before actually starting. Following his run with the Badgers from 2013 to 2017, including multiple extended postseason runs, the Ohio native played in nine NBA games of the 2017-18 season, and returned for 27 more with the Phoenix Suns at the top of the 2025-26 Regular Season. Meanwhile, pursuing overseas options led to tremendous success, headlined by the Most Valuable Player nod in last season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four and being crowned champion with Fenerbahce Beko.
Therefore, Hayes-Davis will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers. In this case, he will consider his options, including a possible return to Europe’s premier club competition.
Per the press release: “The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired forward Ousmane Dieng (oose-mon jeng) from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade that sent guard Cole Anthony and guard/forward Amir Coffey from Milwaukee to the Phoenix Suns and center Nick Richards from Phoenix to Chicago.
Dieng has appeared in 136 games (two starts) in four seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, recording NBA career averages of 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.0 minutes per game and winning the NBA championship in 2025. While on assignment with the NBA G League’s Oklahoma City Blue, he won the 2024 NBA G League Championship and was named the NBA G League Finals MVP after posting 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the title-clinching game.
Prior to the NBA, Dieng spent the 2021-22 season with the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League, where he averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 20.3 minutes per contest in 23 games (11 starts). The 6-10 forward was the first European-born player to join the NBL’s Next Stars program, and he became the fourth player from the program to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft when the New York Knicks selected him with the No. 11 pick in 2022 before he was traded to the Thunder. A native of France, Dieng played two seasons at INSEP Academy in Paris (2019-21) and helped his home country win the silver medal at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship.
Dieng was traded from Oklahoma City to the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 4, 2026, prior to being sent to Chicago. Nigel Hayes-Davis, who was also acquired by the Bucks from the Suns in the three-team trade, has been waived.
In 35 games with Milwaukee this season, Anthony logged 6.7 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. He has accrued career averages of 12.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 23.8 minutes per contest in 355 games (125 starts) with the Orlando Magic (2020-25) and Bucks.
Coffey, who was also in his first season with Milwaukee, tallied 2.4 points in 8.8 minutes per contest in 30 games (two starts) with the Bucks. In 353 games (69 starts) with Milwaukee and the LA Clippers (2019-25), he holds career averages of 6.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 17.6 minutes per game.”