The Charlotte Hornets were one of the worst teams in the NBA last season and needed to infuse as much young talent into the roster as possible. As a result, they traded center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 29 pick despite already holding the draft’s fourth selection.
The Hornets addressed an immediate need with their first pick, selecting Duke sharpshooter Kon Knueppel at No. 4. However, when it came to the No. 29, they picked Liam McNeeley, another high-volume three-point shooter, raising concerns among analysts about how he would fit into the roster.
Charlotte Hornets Earn Joint Second-Worst Grade for Liam McNeeley Selection
The Hornets ranked 12th in the three-point rate last season, and while it’s decent for a young team like them, they often failed to land them, ranking ahead of only the Washington Wizards for offensive efficiency.
But Knueppel shot 47.9% from the field, 40.6% from three, and 91.4% from the free-throw line, making it a no-brainer of a selection. When it came to McNeeley at No. 29, he only landed 31.7% of his 3-pointers last season at UConn.
Liam McNeeley is selected 29th overall by the @Suns in the 2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm!
Watch on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/MtpDQQJaUn
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
However, that number is still decent given McNeeley’s ability to create his own shot. According to PFSN’s Brandon Austin, the bigger concern behind this selection is the uncertainty in his role.
The major culprit for the Hornets’ drop in offensive efficiency was the absence of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. With those two returning next season, it’s clear Knueppel will be the first choice ahead of McNeeley. So, what was the plan behind drafting him? Austin doesn’t think there’s a clear answer, and as a result, he gave them a D+ grade for the selection.
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“Liam McNeeley has proven the ability to find spots to get his shot off, and a three-point oriented attack suits him, though you have to wonder about his exact role when/if this backcourt is at full strength.
“In 27 games (26 starts) with the Huskies, he took 18 more triples than free throws and averaged just 2.7 made two-point buckets per game. With Ball and Miller being volume shooters who demand high usage rates, McNeeley projects as more of a second-unit, microwave scorer type that enters with energy for spurts.
“He’s a nice player, but a little repetitive for a team with serious frontcourt issues after trading Mark Williams to the Suns for the rights to this pick. There’s likely a larger plan at play, but it’s not yet clear, and this construction of players makes it hard to see this team competing at a playoff level in the short term.”
After trading Williams, the Hornets desperately need to find a big in the second draft round to make some sense of the McNeeley selection. They, however, do have two picks for Thursday night, and any one of Rasheer Fleming, Maxime Raynaud, or Ryan Kalkbrenner — the top three centers remaining — should help them round out the draft on a relatively good note.
