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Nigel Hayes-Davis could become EuroLeague's highest-paid player after being waived by Bucks

Former Wisconsin Badgers star Nigel Hayes-Davis could be a big star in Europe again after his second run in the NBA came to an end.
Lorin Cox|
Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes-Davis (21) is likely heading back to Europe after being traded by the Phoenix Suns and waived by the Milwaukee Bucks
Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes-Davis (21) is likely heading back to Europe after being traded by the Phoenix Suns and waived by the Milwaukee Bucks | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Former Wisconsin Badgers star Nigel Hayes-Davis was one of the biggest stars in European basketball last year when he decided to take another shot at the NBA.

After half a season with the Phoenix Suns, his pro career in the U.S. is back on pause.

He was traded this week at the NBA trade deadline to the Milwaukee Bucks, who immediately waived him and made him a free agent.

A new report from EuroHoops.net suggests that Hayes-Davis could be heading back to the EuroLeague.

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He will be a hot commodity overseas.

When he left for the NBA last summer, he had just won the EuroLeague championship and was named MVP.

In the title game, Hayes-Davis led his team with 23 points and nine rebounds, on the court for all but three minutes of the contest.

He looked more like the dominant forward he was at Wisconsin, where he ranks third on the program's all time scoring list with 1,857 points.

Related: Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes-Davis wins MVP in EuroLeague Final Four

His performance attracted the attention of multiple NBA teams and ultimately earned him his shot with the Suns.

This season, he averaged just over seven minutes played across the 27 games he appeared in, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds.

It doesn't appear to be enough for another NBA team to take a chance on him, but he'll have plenty of suitors in Europe.

It might not be the pro career he envisioned when he was leading the Badgers to greatness, but he's found a way to carve out an impressive resume overseas that few others can match.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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