We’re continuing our Bright Side series by exploring what success looks like for each Suns player in 2025–26.
When you talk about what success looks like for Nigel Hayes-Davis, it’s less a statement and more a question mark. Few have truly seen him play in recent years. The last time he logged NBA minutes was back in 2018, a season in which he appeared in only nine games across three different teams. Now, at nearly 31 years old, any definition of success has to account for time, both the years away from the league and the miles he’s logged overseas.
And yes, he’s played well internationally. He led Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul in scoring last season, helping them to a 23–11 record while finishing eighth in EuroLeague scoring at 16.8 points per game. He won the MVP after the championship game.
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He’s long, relentless, and thrives as a high-motor role player. From his perspective, success is already in motion. He’s made it back to the NBA. For the Ohio native, that alone is a victory. Rotation minutes would be the bonus.
For the Phoenix Suns, the lens shifts. A successful season for Hayes-Davis is one in which he fills the gap as a reliable rotational wing in the early months, then gracefully yields to younger players as the season evolves. He could surprise, even carve out a starter’s role for stretches, but in the long run, his greatest value may be embracing the role the team envisions for him, not chasing one they haven’t.
The intrigue is in the unknown. His advanced stats aren’t readily available. Shot charts aren’t as easy to find as they are for others. His overseas splits across 301 games — 47/40/82 — paint a promising but incomplete picture. Two seasons ago, he averaged nearly six threes a game and hit 42.3% of them, proving he can space the floor. That skill, paired with his size, will be a welcome fit in certain lineups.
In the end, it comes back to the theme of this series: success.
For Hayes-Davis, it’s about being an energy player every night, an intangible addition whose hustle and presence ripple beyond the box score. Every team needs that player, the one who, when called upon, gives everything they have. If he can embody that role, he’ll find success not only in his own eyes, but in the hearts of the fan base as well.
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