Former NBA Second-Round Pick Commits to Play College Basketball at Baylor

Former second-round pick James Nnaji has been granted NCAA eligibility to play college basketball.

Former Hornets center and second-round pick James Nnaji is heading to Baylor. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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.

The 21-year-old center has instead spent much of the last six years playing for Rátgéber Akadémia of the Hungarian League and with FC Barcelona. A native of Nakurdi, 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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