The Charlotte Hornets' decision to move on from Mark Williams this summer may have yielded immediate returns, as the trade netted them the No. 29 pick, which they used on Liam McNeeley. It's probably too early to tell, but the Hornets were fortunate to land the steal of the 2025 draft.
Interestingly, McNeeley wasn't expected to drop that low in the draft. He was even projected to be a lottery pick. However, his inefficient shooting and injury concerns during his lone season in college appear to have turned off some teams.
But as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. The Hornets took on the University of Connecticut product even after selecting a similar prospect, Kon Knueppel, with their No. 4 selection and despite having to fill out the roster with a big man and a perimeter defender. As luck would have it, they managed to address those needs with their back-to-back picks early in the second round.
Liam McNeeley has been one of the Summer League standouts
It didn't take long for McNeeley to showcase why some pundits were high on him before the draft.
In his Summer League debut, the promising swingman exploded for 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists off the bench. He was easily the brightest among the Hornets' rookies, helping the squad defeat the Utah Jazz 111-105. Perhaps what made his performance more admirable beyond his shot-making ability was his penchant for crashing the glass, pushing the pace whenever he brought up the ball, and initiating the offense for his teammates, which included two alley-oop passes.
McNeeley fell back down to Earth in Charlotte's following matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. He struggled a bit from the field, going for 4-11 (3-8 from beyond the arc) to finish with 14 points. However, he did haul in five rebounds and dished out two dimes, as the team eked out a 96-94 victory.
The 19-year-old freshman sat out the contest against the Dallas Mavericks as part of his injury management, but it has become clear why he was once a consensus five-star recruit and how he will be able to help the Hornets as early as his rookie campaign.
In addition to his offense, McNeeley has exceeded expectations so far on the defensive side of the court. There were apprehensions about his ability to stay in front of his man, but he displayed enough awareness and determination in his first two matches, albeit against weaker competition. As such, it is highly unlikely that he will turn out to be a cone on defense once the real games start.
Unfortunately for the former Huskies standout, there are several guys ahead of him in Charlotte's depth chart. He might have to bide his time or wait for another wing to get injured before cracking the rotation. Even so, the Hornets found a gem late in the first round, which is one of the reasons a great wave of optimism has swept the franchise and many of its fans.