Panathinaikos has made the surprise announcement of the signing of Nigel Hayes-David, one of the most coveted basketball players in Europe, who was named MVP of the EuroLeague Final Four in 2025, helping Fenerbahçe win their second title... precisely, against Panathinaikos.
Panathinaikos's owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced the signing on social media, ending a bidding war between the Greek club, Fenerbahçe Istanbul and Hapoel Tel Aviv. All of them wanted to secure the talent, who had left the EuroLeague to the NBA last summer, joining Phoenix Suns, but was traded early this month to the Milwaukee Bucks and then waived by the team.
The 31-year-old American player (born in Ohio) played for Fenerbahçe between 2022 and 2025. He has played for several NBA franchises, including Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, and Sacramento Kings, before coming to Europe: Galatasaray, Zalgiris Kaunas, and Barcelona.
His new contract with Fenerbahçe runs from now until 2028, and will make him one of the three highest-paid basketball players in Europe, earning $10M, behind Vasilije Micic and Kendrick Nunn from Hapoel Tel Aviv.