The Boston Celtics will desperately try to shed salary this offseason, moving on from their expensive veterans to earn more financial flexibility and set themselves up for the future. While doing so, they will also try to remain as competitive as possible. This means that they need to find value on the margins, including players on team-friendly deals.
In fact, head coach Joe Mazzulla is already doing that, personally scouting potential Celtics targets overseas. On Monday, Mazzulla was in Istanbul, watching a former Lakers forward who has been drawing some NBA interest after finding a ton of overseas success.
Eurohoops.net and Sportando reported that Mazzulla was watching Nigel Hayes-Davis during Fenerbahce's Turkish Basketball League semifinals Game 3 matchup. NBA insider Keith Smith later revealed that the Celtics previously had interest in him, verifying that there may be some truth to these reports.
Fenerbahce: Coach Mazzulla in Istanbul to scout Nigel Hayes-Davis @Sportando https://t.co/NovtAElPP5
— Sportando (@Sportando) June 9, 2025
Joe Mazzulla Considering Nigel Hayes-Davis as Potential Celtics Addition
Boston's interest in Hayes-Davis would be understandable. After brief stints with the Lakers, Raptors, and the Kings in the NBA, the 30-year-old wing took his talents to Europe, emerging as one of the best two-way players there. He has been with the reigning Euroleague champions Fenerbahce for the past three seasons, winning the Final Four MVP award and making the All-Euroleague First Team twice.
Hayes-Davis has solid physical and athletic tools at 6'8" and defends multiple positions. He has significantly improved his outside shooting over the last few years, hitting 41% of his threes in the Euroleague this season. This versatility, size, and shooting combination make him an intriguing fit for the Celtics.
For most teams, adding a 30-year-old veteran who hasn't been in the NBA in seven years would be a risky proposition. The Celtics, however, are in a unique position where they can take that risk. They want to be competitive without adding too much to their books, and they already have good depth that they should be willing to take a flyer on Hayes-Davis with one of their roster spots.
Whether anything comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it's nice to see that the Celtics are thinking outside the box and leaving no stone unturned when thinking about their roster for next season.