Former Detroit Pistons second-round decide James Nnaji has enrolled at Baylor and is straight away eligible to play for the Bears’ males’s basketball group, Jonathan Givony stories — a major growth and unprecedented path to school basketball.
Nnaji, 21, went thirty first general within the 2023 NBA Draft, together with his rights going to the Charlotte Hornets as a part of a commerce. His rights had been traded to the New York Knicks in 2024. Nonetheless, Nnaji by no means signed an NBA contract, and as a substitute has been enjoying in Europe, most just lately with Yukatel Merkezefendi in Turkey on mortgage from Spain’s FC Barcelona. He averaged 7.5 and 4.0 rebounds with Yukatel Merkezefendi.
Nnaji and Barcelona — the group he had been with since 2020 — mutually agreed to half methods after the 2024-25 season.
Most just lately, he performed with the Knicks within the 2025 Summer time League.
Nnaji was listed at 6-feet-11 and 226 kilos when he was drafted as an 18-year-old, and Givony lists him as 7-feet and 251 kilos with a 7-7 wingspan at the moment.
“There was critical steam for Nnaji to work his approach into the again finish of the primary spherical, so Charlotte shifting as much as purchase him at No. 31 looks like first rate worth right here,” Kyle Boone wrote of Nnaji when he was drafted. “Nnaji’s measurables when it comes to his dimension and size are spectacular and he is an enormous leaper who can end above the rim, although he does current as one thing of a mission for the Hornets.”
As an alternative, in a wild twist, he’ll find yourself enjoying school basketball greater than two years after being drafted. Baylor is 9-2 this season and has been with out Juslin Bodo Bodo (arm) and Maikcol Perez (ACL), two anticipated front-court contributors.