James Nnaji Joins Baylor with Full NCAA Eligibility

James Nnaji, a 21-year-old Nigerian center drafted in the NBA's second round two years ago, has committed to Baylor University and received immediate eligibility to play college basketball for the Bears starting this season. The 7-foot player, whose NBA rights remain with the New York Knicks, will join the team in time for its nonconference game against Arlington Baptist on December 29 in Waco, Texas.

Nnaji's decision marks a rare path in basketball, as he becomes the first player with NBA draft rights to enroll in an NCAA program after pursuing professional opportunities overseas. Selected 31st overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft, Nnaji's rights were traded to the Charlotte Hornets shortly after. In October 2024, the Knicks acquired those rights as part of a three-team trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York from Minnesota. Despite the selections and trades, Nnaji has never signed an NBA contract, allowing the NCAA to grant him four full years of eligibility since he has no prior college or professional domestic experience that would count against it.

The center spent the past several years developing in Europe, primarily with FC Barcelona in Spain,...