Two years after being selected with the 31st overall pick in the NBA draft, center James Nnaji has enrolled at Baylor and will be immediately eligible to play college basketball this season, his agents at Gersh Sports tell Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
It’s a development that’s unprecedented in recent NCAA history, further blurring the line between college and professional basketball. Nnaji, who was originally drafted by the Hornets in 2023, had his rights traded to the Knicks in last year’s three-team Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster, but has yet to sign his first NBA contract, having continued to play overseas since being drafted.
It has become increasingly common for international prospects to come stateside and join NCAA programs after playing for professional teams in Europe. However, up until this point, that was happening before the player was selected in the NBA draft, not after.
The NCAA has granted Nnaji four years of college eligibility, according to Joe Tipton of On3. The decision could open the door for other draft-and-stash prospects to take a similar path going forward.
Nnaji, 21, was under contract with FC Barcelona in Spain for several seasons before parting ways with the team this past summer. The big man also spent time with Merkezefendi Basket in Turkey and Girona, another Spanish team, while on loan from Barcelona.
In 2024/25, Nnaji appeared in 14 Spanish League (Liga ACB) games for Girona, averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per contest. He also suited up for the Knicks’ Summer League team in July, averaging 3.2 PPG and 3.6 RPG across five outings in Las Vegas. It was his second appearance at Vegas Summer League, as he also played for the Hornets’ team in 2023.
As Tipton observes, Baylor’s frontcourt has been hit hard by injuries this season, so Nnaji – a rim-running, defensive-minded center – has a path to a significant role for the Bears in the second half of 2025/26. The Knicks, who continue to hold his NBA rights, figure to be closely monitoring his progress and will no longer have to travel overseas to scout him in person.