The NCAA has granted Nnaji four years, and the 21-year-old will be available immediately with the hope that he is ready for Baylor’s Big 12 opener on Jan. 3 at TCU.
Nnaji, who was selected by the Detroit Pistons, was immediately traded to the Charlotte Hornets. His rights were traded to the New York Knicks in 2024 as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns deal. Nnaji never appeared in the NBA or the G League, making him eligible to play for Baylor.
Since his call-up, Nnaji has played professionally abroad, including stints with Girona in Spain in 2024-2025. He recently played for Merkezefendi, but parted ways with the team in July. Nnaji also appeared in five NBA Summer League games for the Knicks in 2025, averaging 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. After being drafted, he played in six games for the Hornets’ summer league squad.
Nnaji becomes the latest player to join an NCAA program after previously playing professionally, a phenomenon that has become increasingly controversial. Guard Thierry Darlan committed to Santa Clara in September and was given two years of eligibility after spending two years in the G League. He was the first professional athlete to qualify for the NCAA.
Guard London Johnson committed to Louisville in October and joined the Cardinals this month. He has been playing professionally since 2022, with two seasons as a member of G League Ignite, followed by stints with the Maine Celtics and Cleveland Charge. Following Johnson’s commitment, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo expressed outrage over this new development.
“I don’t know anything about it. I can’t believe this happened to us (Monday),” Izzo said. “And if it’s been done before and I didn’t know about it, shame on me. But my compliance officer didn’t know. There are people in this league who didn’t know. The NCAA needs to regroup.”
“This just shows you how ridiculous people in power make decisions. I’m not really excited about the NCAA or who makes these decisions without talking to us; (they) just let it go because they’re afraid they’ll be taken to court.”
Baylor has been decimated by injuries this season. The Bears have been without forward Maikcol Perez and center Juslin Bodo Bodo all year and are hoping Nnaji can provide a boost.
#James #Nnaji #commits #Baylor #adding #wave #pros #entering #NCAA #basketball