Former Wisconsin F Nigel Hayes agrees to partially-guaranteed deal with New York Knicks

Update—Saturday, 8:04 a.m. CDT: Hayes’s deal looks official.

A former Wisconsin Badgers standout was “Woj Bombed” on Thursday.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, forward Nigel Hayes will have a “partially guaranteed deal” with the New York Knicks. A source told ESPN that Hayes “has agreed” to the deal.

Hayes played for the Knicks’ summer league team in Orlando last month after not being selected in the 2017 NBA Draft.

He recorded 5.2 points and five rebounds and averaged 15.4 minutes per contest in those five summer league games. He also shot 41.4 percent from the field.

Hayes’s biggest game of the Orlando tournament came in New York’s 91-72 victory over the Miami Heat summer league squad. He tallied 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, along with six rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes.

In terms of partially-guaranteed contracts, here’s what RealGM’s Keith P. Smith noted back in July 2015:

Partial and non-guaranteed contracts are becoming a popular way for teams to take a chance on a player without locking themselves into that player. Often, undrafted players are signed in to the league on a partially guaranteed contract. This gives them, in effect, a signing bonus to attend camp and play in the pre-season with a team. The team can then try the player out and make a decision at a later date on keeping that player or not.

As SB Nation’s Knicks blog, Posting and Toasting, explains, Hayes will get a shot to earn a roster spot at training camp.

Nevertheless, the partially guaranteed contract will at least earn Hayes a spot at training camp where he will be competing for a roster spot. While the 15-man roster is now complete, players like Chasson Randle could still be released if outplayed by Hayes or Jamel Artis (who many might argue outplayed them both this summer).

While the details of the signing are unclear at this time, the Knicks still have one available two-way contract to use, the first of which was given to Luke Kornet. If Hayes makes the team in any capacity, one has to assume that his time would be spent mostly in Westchester. For now though, the 6’7” forward will be wearing orange and blue until further notice.