Overview
- Baylor announced Nnaji’s addition, and reports say he has been granted four years of eligibility and can play in the season’s second half.
- Nnaji was the No. 31 pick in the 2023 draft by the Pistons, with his rights traded to the Hornets and then to the Knicks in the 2024 Karl-Anthony Towns deal.
- He played in Europe for Barcelona, Girona and Merkezefendi and appeared in Summer League for the Hornets and Knicks without any NBA or G League regular-season games.
- The Bears are 9–2 and short on healthy bigs, with Juslin Bodo Bodo out for the season and Maikcol Perez sidelined, giving the 7-footer a clear role as a rim protector.
- Outlets describe the move as unprecedented and say it raises broader questions about NCAA eligibility and draft-rights rules, with the Knicks still holding his NBA rights.