Overview
- Baylor announced that the 7-foot center has joined the program and is immediately available for the second half of the 2025–26 season after the NCAA granted him four years of eligibility.
- Nnaji was selected 31st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, with his rights moving from Detroit to Charlotte and later to the New York Knicks in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
- He never signed an NBA or G League deal, played professionally in Europe for Barcelona with stints at Girona and Merkezefendi, and appeared in Summer League for the Hornets (2023) and Knicks (2025).
- The Knicks retain his NBA draft rights and are expected to track his development closely as he plays in the United States.
- Baylor, 9–2 with frontcourt injuries to Juslin Bodo Bodo and Maikcol Perez and a need for size and defense, gains a rim-protecting center in a move widely described as unprecedented and potentially precedent-setting for future eligibility cases.