The New York Knicks may have an alternative choice accessible to them for the 2025-26 season.
Europe based mostly basketball star James Nnaji may lastly be coming to the NBA with the New York Knicks.
The Knicks acquired the rights to James Nnaji in 2024, and based on Spanish outlet Sport, he is able to depart Barcelona.
Nnaji is able to pursue his profession within the NBA, with the Japanese Convention Finalists at the moment positioned to learn from his providers.
James Nnaji was chosen with the thirty first choose within the 2023 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. His rights had been instantly traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
In late 2024, Nnaji’s rights had been traded to the New York Knicks as a part of the Karl-Anthony Cities deal, which truly concerned three groups.
As a part of the identical deal that despatched Karl-Anthony Cities to the Knicks and Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York introduced the Charlotte Hornets into the deal to unlock cap house.
This concerned Charlie Brown Jr., DaQuan Jeffries, Duane Washington, and three second-round picks being despatched to the Hornets.
In change the Knicks obtained the rights to James Nnaji, who has continued to play in Spain for Barcelona.
James Nnaji’s stint in Barcelona is ready to finish. He intends to move to the US to play within the NBA.
SoloBasket.com studies: “James Nnaji now not needs to proceed at Barca Basket and has knowledgeable the membership of this in the previous few hours.
“Regardless of having a contract with the membership till the summer season of 2027, the younger Nigerian middle believes he won’t be necessary in Joan Peñarroya’s plans and desires to proceed his profession in the US.”
That is an added bonus for the New York Knicks, who’ve two choices at hand relating to James Nnaji.
The primary easy possibility for the New York Knicks is to get James Nnaji in with the group, and assess him.
This might contain using Nnaji in Summer time League, or subsequent season with the G League Westchester Knicks, or in the event that they consider him to be prepared, make him a part of their bench rotation.
A few of it will depend upon how their roster shakes out throughout free company, and the crucial query, who would be the Knicks’ new head coach.
Nnaji won’t even make it to the Knicks. The 20-year-old performs at a place that’s in excessive demand throughout the NBA this summer season.
It is vitally attainable the Knicks may throw Nnaji right into a commerce, along with his worth increased as he’s lastly leaving Europe. There may very well be a number of groups .
Nnaji is an intriguing, but untested expertise, and subsequent season one NBA group will start to study extra about what he has to supply. Proper now the Knicks are in management, however they might select to present this up.
