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Drafted Center James Nnaji Enrolls at Baylor With Immediate NCAA Eligibility

He was the 2023 No. 31 pick who never signed an NBA contract, leaving his draft rights with the Knicks.

Overview

  • Nnaji has been cleared to play right away for Baylor and was granted four years of NCAA eligibility, according to multiple reports.
  • The 7-foot, 21-year-old is expected to join for the second half of the 2025–26 season as Baylor deals with frontcourt injuries.
  • Selected 31st in the 2023 draft, Nnaji’s rights moved from Detroit to Charlotte and then to New York in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
  • His status does not alter the Knicks’ control of his NBA draft rights, which remain intact as he competes in college.
  • He never signed an NBA deal, played for Barcelona with loans to Girona and Merkezefendi, appeared in Summer League for the Hornets and Knicks, and his case is widely described as an unprecedented test of evolving NCAA and NIL rules.