# Ochai Agbaji
**Ochai Agbaji** (OCH-eye uh-BAH-gee; full name Ochai Young Agbaji, born 2000) is an American professional basketball player, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard who won the 2022 NCAA championship with Kansas as Final Four Most Outstanding Player and was selected 14th overall by the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-cavaliers) in the 2022 NBA Draft.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) • [2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022) He has played in the NBA for the [Utah Jazz](https://www.edgepedia.org/utah-jazz), the [Toronto Raptors](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-raptors), and, briefly, the New York Knicks.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2000, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 6'5" (1.96 m), 215 lb (98 kg)[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) |
| College | Kansas, 2018–22; 1,652 career points (15th in school history), 250 three-point field goals (4th)[3](https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ochai-agbaji/1017) |
| 2022 honors | NCAA champion, Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Big 12 Player of the Year, consensus first-team All-American[4](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ochai-agbaji) |
| NBA Draft | 2022, first round, 14th overall, Cleveland Cavaliers[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022) |
| NBA teams | Utah (2022–24), Toronto (2024–26), New York Knicks (Exhibit 9 contract, September 2026)[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) • [5](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/trey-murphy-iii) |
| Career NBA averages | 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 20.8 minutes in 137 games; .419 FG, .326 3PT, .744 FT[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) |
| 2026 free agency | Nets declined his qualifying offer in June 2026, making him a restricted free agent[6](https://www.nba.com/players/free-agent-tracker) |
## Early life and high school
Agbaji was born in [Milwaukee](https://www.edgepedia.org/milwaukee), Wisconsin, to Olofu and Erica Ogbaji, both of whom played college basketball at Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Olofu lettered there in 1991-92 and Erica was a four-year letter-winner from 1991 to 1994.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) He attended Oak Park High School in [Kansas City, Missouri](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-missouri), and played soccer until his junior year of high school.[7](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/agbajoc01.html) • [1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) In 2018 he received the DiRenna Award as the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year and was named Kansas City Star All-Metro Player of the Year.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio)
## College career at Kansas
Agbaji played four seasons (2018-22) at the [University of Kansas](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-kansas), appearing in 122 games with 116 starts and averaging 13.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting .448 from the field and .373 from three-point range.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) He entered the 2021 NBA Draft but returned to Kansas for his senior season.[3](https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ochai-agbaji/1017)
**The senior-year breakthrough.** As a senior in 2021-22 he led the Big 12 in scoring at 18.8 points per game, scored 20 or more points in 19 games, and set a career high of 37 points in a double-overtime win over Texas Tech on January 24.[4](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ochai-agbaji) • [8](https://baylorbears.com/documents/download/2022/2/25/G28_KUMBB_Baylor.pdf) He was named Big 12 Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American, and Big 12 Athlete of the Year.[4](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ochai-agbaji) • [1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) He left Kansas ranked 15th in career points (1,652), fourth in three-pointers made (250) and attempted (670), and ninth in minutes played (3,978), and he set the school record with a made three-pointer in 53 consecutive games.[3](https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ochai-agbaji/1017)
In the 2022 NCAA Tournament he averaged 13.7 points as Kansas won its first national championship since 2008, and he was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio) • [4](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ochai-agbaji) He graduated in May 2022 with a communication studies degree.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio)
## NBA career
**Draft and the Mitchell trade.** The Cavaliers selected Agbaji 14th overall in the 2022 draft, citing his prototypical physical tools and spot-up shooting ability.[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022) Before he played a regular-season game for Cleveland, he was traded to the Utah Jazz in September 2022 as part of the package, with [Lauri Markkanen](https://www.edgepedia.org/lauri-markkanen) and [Collin Sexton](https://www.edgepedia.org/collin-sexton) plus three first-round picks and two pick swaps, for [Donovan Mitchell](https://www.edgepedia.org/donovan-mitchell).[9](https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-acquire-agbaji-markkanen-sexton-and-future-draft-assets)
**Utah, 2022-24.** As a rookie in 2022-23, Agbaji averaged 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 59 games (22 starts), shooting .427 from the field, .355 from three, and .812 from the free-throw line, and he scored a career-high 28 points against Denver on April 8.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio)
**Toronto, 2024-26.** In 2025-26 he appeared in 62 of 82 games, averaging 5.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 52.5 percent true shooting with a 14.2 percent usage rate, and his 2026-27 salary stood at $2.4 million.[10](https://hoopsnightly.com/compare/jordan-hawkins-vs-ochai-agbaji)
**2026 free agency and New York.** On June 29, 2026, the [Brooklyn Nets](https://www.edgepedia.org/brooklyn-nets) declined to tender Agbaji a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent.[6](https://www.nba.com/players/free-agent-tracker) • [5](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/trey-murphy-iii) On September 16, 2026, he signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the [New York Knicks](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-knicks).[5](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/trey-murphy-iii)
## Playing style
Agbaji's draft profile rested on off-ball scoring and perimeter defense. NBA.com's 2022 scouting report described him as a dangerous off-ball scoring threat with an NBA-ready frame, strong set shooting, and effective backdoor cutting, and noted a defensive base of length, quickness, and strength.[4](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ochai-agbaji) Cleveland's pre-draft profile highlighted his durability as a four-year shooter who never shot below 42 percent in any college season, his above-the-rim finishing, and his record of guarding the opposition's top perimeter player, while flagging limited playmaking (a career-best 2.0 assists per game as a sophomore) and a low free-throw attempt rate of 2.5 per game over his college career.[11](https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/features-profile-agbaji-220607)
His NBA numbers reflect that role: across 137 career games he has averaged 6.7 points on .326 three-point shooting, with 50 career starts producing higher averages of 10.0 points and 28.6 minutes.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio)
## References
1. [Ochai Agbaji player bio, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/ochai-agbaji/bio)
2. [2022 NBA Draft, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022)
3. [Ochai Agbaji 2021-22 roster page, Kansas Athletics](https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ochai-agbaji/1017)
4. [NBA 2022 Draft Prospects: Ochai Agbaji, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/ochai-agbaji)
5. [Ochai Agbaji player news, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/player/1630534/trey-murphy-iii)
6. [NBA Free Agent Tracker, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/players/free-agent-tracker)
7. [Ochai Agbaji statistics, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/agbajoc01.html)
8. [Kansas vs. Baylor game notes, Baylor Athletics](https://baylorbears.com/documents/download/2022/2/25/G28_KUMBB_Baylor.pdf)
9. [Utah Jazz acquire Agbaji, Markkanen, Sexton, and future draft assets, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-acquire-agbaji-markkanen-sexton-and-future-draft-assets)
10. [Jordan Hawkins vs Ochai Agbaji: 2025-26 stats and contracts, HoopsNightly](https://hoopsnightly.com/compare/jordan-hawkins-vs-ochai-agbaji)
11. [Prospect Profile: Ochai Agbaji, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/features-profile-agbaji-220607)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › Current NBA players › Shooting guards › Young and recently drafted guards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license