Following the conclusion of the 2023 NBA draft, the Charlotte Hornets have signed Nigeria’s promising basketball player James Nnaji.
Nnaji, who previously played for Barcelona, was picked by the Detroit Pistons but was then transferred to the Boston Celtics and subsequently to the Charlotte Hornets.
Only the 18-year-old Nnaji, from in Benue State, was the only Nigerian selected in the draft.
Nnaji was also the draft’s second-youngest player, selected first in the second round (31st overall).
“The Hornets selected Xavier guard Colby Jones and Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye with the 34th and 39th picks, respectively, and agreed in principle to trade those players’ draft rights to the Boston Celtics as part of a trade with Boston that will be finalized later in which the Hornets will acquire the draft rights to James Nnaji, the 31st pick,” the Hornets stated on Friday, June 23.
Nnaji, a 6-10 center, played the previous two seasons with FC Barcelona in the Spanish ACB division and EuroLeague.
He appeared in 27 games in 2022-23, averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game while shooting 67.1% from the field.
The Hornets are a part of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division and are majority owned by Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
According to the NBA draft note, Nnaji’s ability to shuffle his feet and defend in space is excellent. He also has good body control on his spin moves and is quick on his feet for a player his size (he’s listed at 225 pounds, but I’m sure he weighs much more).
According to the report, Nnaji is a terrific leaper and dunker who finishes with power on the offensive end.
