Although the Phoenix Suns opted to retain restricted free agent center Mark Williams in free agency, one of the draft picks shipped to the Charlotte Hornets in the trade to acquire him is now flashing his own potential.
Liam McNeeley, who was chosen with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by Charlotte after the pick was traded to them by Phoenix, went off in a summer league win over the Orlando Magic.
The 6-foot-7 wing out of UConn scored 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting — including a video-game-esque 7-of-8 from 3-point land — with four assists and two rebounds added to the box score.
McNeeley looked calm, poised and under control while shooting the ball from beyond the arc with great confidence — often calling for the ball when he was given any space to let it fly.
Liam McNeeley’s summer league stats for Charlotte Hornets
McNeeley’s summer league explosion goes beyond that one outing against Orlando. At the time of writing, McNeeley is averaging 21.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest in three games played. During that mini stretch, McNeeley is shooting a better percentage from distance than he is from the floor overall, a testament to his elite sharpshooting that’s been on display.
In those three summer league games, McNeeley is shooting a ridiculous 52.6% from 3-point territory and 45.2% from the field overall.
The 20-year-old played sparingly for Charlotte during his rookie campaign. Across 31 games for the Hornets in 2025-26, McNeeley averaged 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He shot 40% from 3-point land at the NBA level as well (24-of-60 shooting).
While summer league stats in the grand scheme of things often mean very little, McNeeley showing out will at least give Charlotte’s coaching staff reason to believe he can be a much bigger rotational piece as an NBA sophomore.
Of course, following another trade with the Suns that netted Charlotte new 3-point sharpshooters in Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, McNeeley’s spot on the depth chart certainly doesn’t guarantee big minutes. The veteran former Suns will likely be the rotational pieces in the near future, with standout sophomore Kon Knueppel and former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller entrenched in the starting five.
Although McNeeley’s minutes will likely still be compiled in the NBA G League this coming season, his summer league performance should be turning heads. His combination of size and shooting ability is what every NBA squad dreams of having. If he can also find a way to contribute on the defensive end, he’s sure to become a rotational staple as he continues to develop.
Phoenix still has Williams in the mix from its own trade decision, but Suns fans will no doubt be watching McNeeley’s career closely as a “what could have been” scenario moving forward.
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