NBA insider doesn't mince words about Hornets' Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley picks

The selections of Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley were apparently very good.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Liam McNeeley stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 29th pick by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets selected Kon Knueppel in an unsurprising but well-received move early Wednesday night. He was the fourth overall pick, a perhaps uninspiring pick, but one that has received praise for Knueppel's high floor and excellent fit in Charlotte.

Then, after trading Mark Williams, they used the 29th pick to select Liam McNeeley, a player who'd endured a bit of a slide to get to that point. Most big boards had him consistently ranked in the teens or early 20s, and the Hornets got him as almost a second-round pick.

Those two picks could go a long way towards changing the culture in Charlotte, where losing has become a staple and players seemingly not caring as much as others might has been an issue. NBA insider Sam Vecenie, because both Knueppel and McNeeley care deeply about winning, has nothing but adulation for the Hornets' first-round haul.

Vecenie said, "They got two kids tonight who are just f*****g winners in Kon and Liam. These kids give a s**t. If you want to try and figure out whatever your culture is in Charlotte, getting Liam and Kon is going to help your culture 100% of the time."

Both figure to be in line for a lot of playing time. Knueppel will eventually be the starting shooting guard, and there's a world where McNeeley is the first man off the bench. He might also end up starting if Miles Bridges is traded, but either way, these are two players that very well could raise Charlotte's floor and redefine their culture in year two under Charles Lee and Jeff Peterson.

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