NBA Draft: Hornets trade two second-round picks to Celtics, land center James Nnaji
The Charlotte Hornets stayed true to their pre-draft word on Thursday, as team president/general manager Mitch Kupchak struck a deal with the Boston Celtics during the second round to consolidate their selections.
The Hornets sent the No. 34 and No. 39 picks to the Boston Celtics to acquire Nigerian rookie center James Nnaji. The 18-year-old center was initially selected by the Detroit Pistons with the No. 31 pick.
The Makurdi, Nigeria, native becomes the third member of the Hornets’ draft class. He joins forward Brandon Miller (No. 2) and guard Nick Smith Jr. (No. 27) as part of the rookie group.
Nnaji played last season with FC Barcelona.
During the first round of the draft, Kupchak said the Hornets received trade interest in the second overall pick prior to the selection of Miller. According to the Hornets GM, five or six teams were interested in trading up to acquire the selection from Charlotte.
Hornets’ 2023 NBA Draft:
No. 2 overall: Brandon Miller, F, Alabama
No. 27 overall: Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas
No. 31 overall (via Boston): James Nnaji, C, Nigeria (originally selected by Detroit Pistons)
No. 41st overall: Amari Bailey, G, UCLA
The Observer’s Rod Boone contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 12:03 AM.
