Barcelona and center James Nnaji have mutually ended his contract, which was originally set to run through 2026/27, the club announced. Barcelona thanked Nnaji for his five seasons with the team and wished him well.
Nnaji, who turns 21 this month, was drafted 31st overall in 2023. Though initially selected by the Pistons, his rights were traded multiple times and now belong to the Knicks. Last season, he was loaned to Girona, where he averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds over 14 Liga ACB games.
While his departure from Barcelona doesn’t guarantee an NBA move, Nnaji has expressed interest in exploring that path and recently played for the Knicks in Summer League, averaging 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds.
With the Knicks facing salary cap constraints and holding Nnaji’s draft rights, he’s a logical candidate for one of their final roster spots.
Fellow draft-rights players Mohamed Diawara and Kevin McCullar Jr. are also in the mix, though only Nnaji and Diawara currently qualify for rookie minimum or two-way contracts. The Knicks still have three open two-way slots available.
James Nnaji could be headed to the Knicks after opting out of his contract in Spain: https://t.co/FGAStmKrCs
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) August 2, 2025
