Fenerbahce will receive a buyout following Nigel Hayes-Davis' move to the NBA, ending a standout run that included a EuroLeague title and Final Four MVP honors. The Turkish club is expected to pursue a high-profile replacement for their departing star.
Fenerbahce Istanbul will receive a buyout following Nigel Hayes-Davis' move to the NBA, sources tell BasketNews.
According to sources, the forward activated a €1 million NBA buyout clause to leave his contract—originally running through 2027—and sign with the Phoenix Suns, as reported by Shams Charania.
Hayes-Davis earned close to €2 million during his time at Fenerbahce, and the Turkish powerhouse is now expected to pursue a high-profile replacement for their cornerstone player.
Hayes-Davis departs after a championship-winning season, capping off Fenerbahce’s EuroLeague title run with a 23-point, 9-rebound performance in the final and earning Final Four MVP honors.
He was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in back-to-back seasons and averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 41% shooting from deep in 2024–25.
The 30-year-old also set the EuroLeague single-game scoring record two seasons ago with a 50-point outburst.
Hayes-Davis spent last summer training with Team USA ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he gained exposure to NBA decision-makers and some of the league’s biggest stars, further paving the way for his eventual jump to the NBA.
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||## Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul|
|Position|Player|Status|
|PG|Wade Baldwin IV|Signed until 2026 +1|
|PG|Arturs Zagars|Signed until 2026|
|PG/SG|Scottie Wilbekin (story)|Signed until 2026 +1|
|SG|Devon Hall|Signed until 2026|
|SG|Mert Eksioglu|Signed until 2026|
|SG|Melih Mahmutoglu|Signed until 2025|
|SG/SF|Onuralp Bitim (on loan)|Signed until 2027 +1|
|SF|Bonzie Colson|Signed until 2026 +1|
|SF|Dyshawn Pierre|Signed until 2025 +1|
|SF|Tarik Biberovic|Signed until 2026|
|SF/PF|Metecan Birsen (story)|Signed until 2026|
|PF/C|Nicolo Melli|Signed until 2026|
|C|Khem Birch|Signed until 2025|
|C|Sertac Sanli|Signed until 2025|
|C|Jilson Bango|Signed until 2026 +1|
|Coach|Sarunas Jasikevicius (signed until 2026)|
|Expiring contracts|Errick McCollum (will not return), Melih Mahmutoglu, Khem Birch, Sertac Sanli|
|Rumored to leave|Marko Guduric (will not return), Tarik Biberovic, Nigel Hayes-Davis (will not return)|
|Interested|Mikael Jantunen, Vasilije Micic|
More Fenerbahce transfer news:
Donatas Urbonas
Donatas Urbonas is an award-winning Lithuanian basketball journalist, recognized as the best sports journalist in Lithuania in 2016 and the top basketball journalist in 2018. A Vilnius University journalism graduate, Urbonas has reported on major global sports events, including the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Olympics, FIBA World Cups, EuroBaskets, NBA Summer League, and NBA Draft.
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