Former NBA second-round pick James Nnaji is heading to Baylor to play college basketball for the Bears, Jonathan Givony of NBA Draft Express reported on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, the NCAA decided to grant eligibility to multiple former G League players to play college basketball—a choice that has been heavily criticized by Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Purdue coach Matt Painter. Now, Nnaji will become the latest player to head back to college basketball.
Related: Why Former Pros Are Coming to College Basketball, and What Eligibility Issues They Face
Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft, was drafted by the Pistons before getting immediately traded to the Hornets. In 2024, his rights were then traded to the Knicks. He has spent time playing for both the Hornets and Knicks in the NBA summer league, but has not appeared in an NBA game.
“James is a really talented young player with a ton of potential, and we’re excited to welcome him to the Baylor Family,” head coach Scott Drew said. “Any time you add someone to the roster midseason, it’s going to be a process to get them acclimated and up to speed, but we know James will do everything he can to make it a seamless transition.”
The 21-year-old center has spent much of the last six years playing for Rátgéber Akadémia of the Hungarian League and with FC Barcelona. A native of Makurdi, Nigeria, Nnaji moved to Hungary as a teenager to upstart his professional basketball career.
Nnaji will be eligible to play immediately and will have four years of eligibility. The 7-foot center joins a 9-2 Baylor team that is in the thick of the Big 12 race and has consistently made the NCAA tournament each March. The Bears next play on Dec. 29 against Arlington Baptist, and have games against TCU, Iowa State and Houston over the upcoming weeks.
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