Phoenix Suns select Liam McNeeley in 2025 NBA Draft, trade to Charlotte Hornets

UConn F Liam McNeeley was one of the better players in the Big East this season as a freshman for the Huskies. Now, with that after being a top-rated recruit beforehand, McNeeley is off the board as a high selection in the NBA Draft.

The Phoenix Suns have selected McNeeley in the 2025 NBA Draft. They did so with their No. 29 overall pick, but immediately shipped him off to the Charlotte Hornets.

McNeeley appeared in 27 games, 26 being starts, for Connecticut. He averaged 14.5 points (38.1% FG, 31.7% 3PT on 1.7 makes) as their leading scorer while also posting 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in Storrs. That won him Big East Rookie of the Year and earned him a spot on the Big East All-Freshman Team while he also made it as All-Big East Third Team. That’s despite missing eight games at the start of the year with a high ankle sprain before returning to the lineup in February.

McNeeley, a native of Richardson, Texas, played his high school basketball at Montverde Academy in Florida after previously playing for Pearce High School and John Paul II. He was a Five-Star+ recruit as the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle. He also rated as the No. 3 SF, behind Cooper Flagg (Duke) and Ace Bailey (Rutgers), and the No. 3 player out of the state of Florida after Flagg, his teammate at Montverde, and Donnie Freeman (IMG Academy – Syracuse). That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Liam McNeeley

McNeeley had a decent season as a one-and-done prospect from UConn. He still, according to On3’s James Fletcher coming out of the NBA Draft Combine, though, has a few cons to work out of his overall evaluation as a prospect.

“Liam McNeeley has seen his draft stock fall since the start of the season, in part due to the injury he sustained and the drop in results his team displayed. The clear positive comes with his competitive fire, which was on display in the gulf in results his team showed based on his availability. Inconsistent results in the box score hurt him, however,” Fletcher wrote back in May.

RotoWire.com looked at a few more of the pros in their draft profile for McNeeley. Reads and feel continued to come up with him, which is a plus at his small forward’s frame of 6’7″ and 215. His shooting, at under 40% from the field and three, was then their main question as to how good he could now be in the NBA.

“McNeeley is a skilled wing with enough tools to thrive on both ends of the court,” they wrote. “He has an advanced feel for the game, particularly on the defensive end, while offering a polished all-around offensive repertoire. His shooting numbers weren’t outstanding at the college level, but he has a good stroke and wields above-average fundamentals. McNeeley’s IQ allows him to read the game well on both ends of the court and make smart reads. One of his strongest assets is his ability to create his own shot, and he excels as a player who launches off screens and can facilitate in the pick-and-roll. His offensive game is a step or two ahead of his defensive game, but he’s not a liability on that end. McNeeley can make good reads, understands when to help if necessary and communicates well on the defensive end.”

“McNeeley projects as a prototypical small forward in today’s NBA, and although his shooting stands to develop, he has enough tools to be a player who can get the job done on both ends of the court. The true upside of his career could be determined by his shooting, and the early signs are encouraging,” they wrote.