By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Zalgiris Kaunas announced that the club will keep Nigel Hayes for the 2020-2021 season. The American forward had signed a 1+1 deal with the team in 2019.
Per Zalgiris:
Zalgiris took another step forward in building up its roster for the upcoming season, as they retained forward Nigel Hayes. Hayes joined the green-and-whites last season on a one-plus-one deal, and will continue representing the Lithuanian champions.
On the other hand K.C. Rivers, who joined Zalgiris in the middle of the season, became free agent and will be playing in Zenit St Petersburg next season.
Both team management, and Zalgiris’ new coach Martin Schiller wanted to see the 25-year-old Hayes back in Kaunas.
The charismatic Wisconsin-born American became an immediate fan favorite in Lithuania, as he immediately took on the challenge of learning the Lithuanian language.
In his debut EuroLeague season, he averaged 22 minutes on the floor and put up 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds on a nightly basis.
In the Lithuanian basketball league, Hayes held averages of 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
Hayes will join core players Marius Grigonis and Lukas Lekavicius, alongside the team’s newcomers Tomas Dimsa, Steve Vasturia, Marek Blazevic, Joffrey Lauvergne and Augustine Rubit.