Former NBA Draft Pick Enrolls, Eligible to Play at Baylor

James Nnaji is a Baylor Bear.

Jul 5, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Charlotte Hornets center James Nnaji (46) during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

There's a first time for everything.

Per Draft Express’s Jonathan Givony, James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick at the 2023 NBA Draft, has officially enrolled at Baylor and will be immediately eligible to play college basketball this season.

NEWS: James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has enrolled at Baylor, agents Gerard Raventos and Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports told DraftExpress.

A monumental development: a former NBA draft pick is immediately eligible to play college basketball this season. pic.twitter.com/8S9aK6MWR3

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 24, 2025

At 21, Nnaji has been on the NBA radar for some time, having been drafted by the Pistons and subsequently traded to the Hornets with the first pick of the second round a few years ago. 

He never signed an NBA contract, and his rights were then traded to New York as part of a three-team deal. After not appearing in an NBA game, Nnaji continued his professional career overseas. He did appear in Summer League with the Knicks, and will become the first player to do so while retaining collegiate eligibility.

He has been granted four years of eligibility by the NCAA. The decision comes after the NCAA's loosening of professional restrictions in the last few months, where they allowed former G League wing Thierry Darlan to sign with Santa Clara.

Nnaji stands at 7-foot with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, and will be a major addition to a Baylor squad that already boasts a few NBA Draft candidates. He's offers immensely physical presence, able to score on the interior, rebound and blocks shots with ferocity.

Baylor has become exceptionally thin in the frontcourt via a few injuries, but Nnaji offers new life as they prepare to face off against the best conference in basketball on a nightly basis. Over the next few months, the Bears will face No. 3 Iowa State, No. 8 Houston, No. 17 Kansas, No. 15 Texas Tech, No. 10 BYU, No. 16 Louisville, No. 1 Arizona and more, all of which have fellow NBA Draft prospects.

The Bears already have Tounde Yessoufou and Cameron Carr rostered, both players that are trending toward being first-round picks at the 2026 NBA Draft, and they now add Nnaji to the frontcourt.

Baylor stands unranked at 9-2 on the season, though Nnaji's addition is sure to mix things up. They essentially add a pro-level prospect midway through the season, one who could see immediate success on the interior.

It remains to be seen where Nnaji stands in regard to the NBA Draft, or how his previous NBA rights will be handled. He was a free agent before signing with Baylor, and this is obviously uncharted waters for the NCAA, NBA and more.