James Nnaji, for all intents and purposes, is functionally operating as a stash for the New York Knicks. This time, it’s just in Waco, Texas, for the Baylor Bears, rather than Italy, Spain, Lithuania, or the like. Drafted to the NBA in 2023 by the Detroit Pistons and traded to the Charlotte Hornets, Nnaji’s rights now belong to the Knicks. It has been a controversial move that elicited strong responses from prominent college coaches like Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Arkansas’ John Calipari, who ripped the NCAA’s rules and lack of authority.
Still, many college coaches and general managers don’t blame Baylor for finding a loophole in the rules to help its squad. “Motherf****** will go anywhere to find someone that can help them win a basketball game right now,” one college basketball high major general manager told CBS Sports. “I don’t think it’s something we will do because these guys are pros. How will they handle how a college coach coaches? That’s been my thought process.”
The hullabaloo surrounding the first NBA Draft pick being cleared to return to college basketball is centered around the looming ramifications.
So who could be next?
As of now, the NCAA is holding firm on two fronts:
Five-year window: The NCAA is open to clearing potential prospects who graduated from high school in the previous five years. Nnaji, 21, was within his five-year window of graduating from high school and had not been enrolled in college before. NBA minutes are a no-go: No player who has ever played a minute in an NBA game has ever been cleared to return to college basketball. The Nnaji precedent sets a standard that guarding Victor Wembanyama in an NBA Summer League game and guarding Victor Wembanyama in a real NBA game are not the same thing.
Some believe Pandora’s box has been opened with this loophole, but in reality, there’s not a long laundry list of candidates that fit into these parameters. Plus, one extra under-the-radar variable was that Nnaji was a free agent. The Knicks may control his draft rights, but he’s not on New York’s payroll. FC Barcelona released Nnaji from his contract in August, opening the door for him to make a move back to the United States. The current number of free agents who graduated from high school in the previous five years is slim.
“I don’t think the player pool is going to be large enough,” a college general manager told CBS Sports. “I think the NCAA or the NBA is going to clip this real quick. Whoever is going to do it, better do it now, because this won’t be around too much longer.”
Another major midseason addition is not anticipated, but the stage is set for a sizzling spring. The portal window looms in April, and players like Trentyn Flowers and other fringe NBA players, including some players currently on two-way deals, are expected to make a run at cracking open the system to get eligibility.
Here are the new names that could now potentially be in play for college basketball staffs after the Nnaji ruling.
Dink Pate
Numbers to know: 19.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists in four games with the Westchester Knicks in the G League
Age: 19
The skinny: Dink Pate was the No. 30 recruit in a Class of 2023 that featured familiar names like Stephon Castle, Elliot Cadeau, Jackson Shelstad and old friend Bronny James.
Instead of the college route, Pate opted to become a pro, take the cash from G League Ignite and follow in the footsteps of Jalen Green and Scoot Henderson. But that entity was shut down in 2024, and Pate went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The New York Knicks (man, the Knickerbockers have come up a lot in the discourse) signed Pate to an undrafted free agent deal, and he’s spent the last year-plus in the G League posting objectively excellent numbers. The 6-foot-8 guard posted a 37-point, 11-rebound, 13-assist showing against the College Park Skyhawks in early December, flashing some of the tools that solidified Pate as one of the top recruits on the grassroots circuit.
Most importantly, Pate has not played any NBA minutes and is still within his five-year window of graduating from high school. Those two variables open up a pathway to college basketball if Pate prefers, based on the precedent set with Nnaji. Oh, and Pate has plenty of ties to college staffs. Kentucky assistant Jason Hart was Pate’s coach at G League Ignite. Alabama’s Nate Oats and USC’s Eric Musselman were Pate’s top two suitors the last time he was strongly considering the college route.
Bogoljub Markovic
Numbers to know: 15.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists for Mega Basket in the Adriatic League.
Age: 20
The skinny: Bogoljub Markovic was a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He is being stashed in the Adriatic League, hooping for Mega Superbet. Markovic was on the same 2024-25 Adriatic League roster that produced current college players, including Kentucky’s Andrija Jelavic, Miami’s Timotej Malovec, Illinois’ Mihailo Petrovic and Auburn’s Filip Jovic.
Markovic, a skilled 6-11 big man who can shoot, has not played a minute for the Bucks and could pursue his collegiate options depending on Milwaukee’s vision for him in 2026-27.
Juan Nunez
Age: 21
Numbers to know: 5.0 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes for FC Barcelona in the EuroLeague in 2024-25.
The skinny: Juan Nunez is currently on the mend after a knee injury, but San Antonio’s No. 36 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft used his tantalizing playmaking to make a name for himself in basketball circles. The 6-4, 175-pound, set-the-table point guard has to get healthy, but he could have a real market.
Jean Montero
Age: 22
Numbers to know: 11.1 points, 4.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds in 20.5 minutes for Valencia in the EuroLeague
The skinny: Jean Montero went undrafted in 2022, but he could be a real difference-maker if he chooses to chase the college route. The 6-3 guard is a go-to player for one of the best teams in the EuroLeague. The Dominican Republic native has been a productive pro at every international stop for the last three seasons.
Matteo Spagnolo
Numbers to know: 6.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 18 games for Baskonia in the EuroLeague
Age: 22
The skinny: Matteo Spagnolo was a second-round pick by Minnesota in the 2022 NBA Draft. The 6-4 Italian guard has been a rotation player in the EuroLeague for three seasons.
Yannick Nzosa
Age: 22
Numbers to know: 2.9 points, 1.0 rebounds in 7.6 minutes for the Spain-based San Pablo Burgos.
The skinny: Yannick Nzosa, a 6-10 center, was a second-round pick by Washington in the 2022 draft.
