The one unexpected Charlotte Hornets player who could reach stardom

Most NBA fans and analysts discussing the Charlotte Hornets will tell you that Charlotte has one star (LaMelo Ball) and one potential star (Brandon Miller).

Now that former Duke Blue Devils stud Kon Knueppel has joined the Hornets, Charlotte’s list of stars and stars-to-be appears to number three, but is that really the whole story?

One Hornets player who isn’t getting enough buzz as a potential star is rookie wing Liam McNeeley, who was selected surprisingly late at No. 29 overall in the 2025 NBA draft.

Deep dive: Why Liam McNeeley could turn into an NBA star

Former UConn Huskies forward Liam McNeeley reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Lenovo Center. | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

McNeeley was a five-star recruit in the 2024 high school class and backed up that ranking with an epic one-and-done season at UConn. He was Dan Hurley’s best player for the Huskies, leading the team in scoring (14.5 points per game) and hitting the glass consistently (6.0 rebounds per game).

McNeeley was named Big East Freshman of the Year for his dominant campaign, which was only slightly marred by an ankle injury he suffered in December, leading to eight missed games.

The injury didn’t stop McNeeley from putting together one of the best freshman seasons in UConn history, though. McNeeley was special from the jump. He opened his college career with back-to-back doubles, becoming the first UConn player to do so since 1978. His 38-point explosion at Creighton on February 11 broke the UConn record for scoring by a freshman in a Big East game.

McNeeley was at his peak when the Huskies needed him the most. In addition to the aforementioned Creighton performance, McNeeley came up huge in a statement, upset win over Gonzaga on December 14 at Madison Square Garden, pouring in a game-high 26 points. It was a performance that put the nation on notice about McNeeley — his coming-out party.

For some reason, McNeeley fell out of the NBA draft lottery, despite plenty of analysts deeming him a top 10 talent. Ultimately, McNeeley’s drop in the draft was a stroke of magical fortune for the Hornets, who were able to acquire McNeeley via trade once he was snagged by the Phoenix Suns at No. 29.

Charlotte Hornets wing Liam McNeeley — 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. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

McNeeley's dominant summer league for Hornets cut short

McNeeley didn’t waste any time at all making his draft selection look silly. In his first NBA showing — Charlotte’s first summer league game — McNeeley was the best player on the floor, dropping 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six dimes off the bench.

Liam McNeeley shined under the Las Vegas sun!

☀️ 22 PTS
☀️ 12 REB
☀️ 6 AST
☀️ 3 3PM pic.twitter.com/7xobN5E70c
— NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2025

McNeeley balled out in his second Vegas game, too, scoring 14 points and grabbing five boards in another win against the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, the injury bug then returned to bite McNeeley. After two games, he was ruled out for the remainder of summer league with Achilles tendinitis, but not before ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wrote a head-turning review of McNeeley’s play.

“McNeeley has outplayed teammate Kon Knueppel, the No. 4 pick, who bounced back after a rough debut,” Pelton wrote. “Taken 29th, McNeeley had 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists -- better than his career high in rebounds at UConn, and one of his top assist totals -- in his debut. McNeeley made three 3-pointers in both games he played, encouraging after he shot 32% from the college line.”

The only knock on McNeeley so far in his college and nascent professional career is durability. Still, it wouldn’t make sense for McNeeley to have fallen out of the lottery for durability concerns after appearing in 27 out of 35 games for UConn.

Whatever the concerns were about McNeeley heading into the draft, they may have been severely unwarranted. McNeeley isn’t a plus-defender, but he's never been known as one. His mediocre defense never factored into expectations about him as a five-star prospect and college superstar.

Furthermore, based on his athleticism, McNeeley can become a capable-enough defender in the NBA, especially as he gets stronger. We haven’t even mentioned yet that McNeeley is still just 19 years old!

NBA comparison: Gordon Hayward

Former Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward during a stoppage in play against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second half in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

McNeeley has the physical profile of an NBA wing, but he displayed natural feel at UConn as a pick-and-roll ball handler once Hurley realized that putting the ball in McNeeley’s hands at the point of attack was the smartest move for a Huskies squad lacking point guard depth.

Once McNeeley started operating in this fashion, he started looking a lot like Utah Jazz era Gordon Hayward — a guy who was strong and athletic enough to attack defenders off the catch but also provided elite ball handling and decision-making for a player his size, especially in pick-and-roll.

Of course, we’re not even mentioning the outside shooting. Hayward was a much more efficient three-point shooter in college than McNeeley was last season for UConn, but the eye test and a wider scope of McNeeley’s career (high school, AAU) indicate that he’ll be a good outside shooter in the pros (summer league pointed in that direction, too).

Physically, McNeeley’s lower body looks stronger than Hayward’s was at the same age. If McNeeley can add upper body bulk without sacrificing flexibility, and if he can stay relatively healthy, it’s not outlandish to say that his floor is an NBA rotation player.

As is the case with so many gifted offensive players entering the league, McNeeley’s ceiling will be determined by how much he can improve on the defensive end. If McNeeley commits a ton of energy and attention to bettering himself as a defender, he can become a star in the league.

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