The New York Knicks added Wisconsin veteran big man Nigel Hayes to their summer league team. He had a nice four-year career for the Badgers.
Wisconsin big man Nigel Hayes worked out for the Knicks earlier in the month, and the team must have come away impressed. The former Badger went undrafted but was on the team’s radar early Friday morning.According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Hayes agreed to a partially guaranteed training camp deal with the Knicks. He’s going to join the team in the summer league.
Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes has agreed to a training camp deal with the Knicks that contains a partial guarantee, per league sources. https://t.co/CqWDlNzzAa
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 23, 2017
Hayes was a star alongside Frank Kaminsky as a sophomore, but during his junior and senior seasons, his play steadily declined. As junior, Hayes was brutal shooting just 36.8 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from downtown.
He bounced back as a senior, but he’s better off as a secondary option than a top guy. Begley provides some context on the reasoning behind the pick.
Via ESPN:
Hayes, 6-8 with a 7-3 wingspan, went undrafted but some college observers see him as having the potential to be a versatile defender at the next level with a strong outside shot – something the Knicks certainly could use.
