Phoenix Suns Trade for Williams lands Hornets Interesting Wing at 29th pick

The Phoenix Suns would trade the 29th pick and some other compensation for Mark Williams on Wednesday night, which means the Charlotte Hornets had the rights to draft a talented UCONN wing in Liam McNeeley. This is a great situation for the Hornets to grab another wing to go along with Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball, and the 4th pick, Kon Knueppel. Charlotte addressed their wing depth in a huge way this 2025 first round on Wednesday. Here’s how McNeeley could fit with Charlotte moving forward. 

Hornets land McNeeley

McNeeley was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, but you can argue he had a disappointing season for the UCONN Huskies. He averaged 14.5 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game. What he was considered to be disappointing was his efficiency from the field, 38.1% overall shooting from the field, and 31.7% shooting from three-point range. Those efficiencies need to be better if he wants to be a better player and a more productive player in the league moving forward. 

The Hornets, hopefully, can develop him into a more efficient shooter in the coming seasons as a hopeful, productive player for their rotation for years to come. We shall see how the Hornets use this situation in the Future. 

Final Thoughts

The fact that the Hornets gave up a talented young center in the deal with the Suns to get a questionable shooter in McNeeley is a risky proposition to take moving forward. So Hornets fans should hope this works for them in the long run, especially if Williams excels with Phoenix. McNeely is going to have to improve his game overall if he wants to be successful, especially after that lackluster season with the Huskies. Total Apex Sports is the place to be for more NBA coverage throughout the offseason.