The Charlotte Hornets nearly added Dalton Knecht last season before Mark Williams failed a physical with the Los Angeles Lakers, although after trading Williams to the Phoenix Suns, they may have ended up with a better player.
With the fourth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected Duke standout Kon Knueppel, who is expected to be one of the best shooters in the class and a perfect complement to LaMelo Ball.
With the 29th pick in the draft, the Hornets picked up UConn wing Liam McNeeley, who, like Knueppel, is expected to be a lethal shooter.
The Hornets managed to add the rights to McNeeley thanks to a draft-night trade, sending center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns, and giving Los Angeles Lakers fans a sense of deja vu.Â
Photo by David Jensen/Getty ImagesCharlotte Hornets traded Mark Williams twice
Immediately after the Lakers traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, it was clear that they needed an interior force to catch lobs and block shots. Williams seemed like the perfect candidate, and the Lakers agreed to send rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a first-round pick, and a swap to the Hornets for Williams.
However, the trade was quickly rescinded after Williams failed a physical, creating an awkward situation for all of the players involved.
It was clear right away that Williams would be traded for the first package the Hornets were offered, although the failed physical clearly hurt his value.
Months later, Charlotte would ship him to the Suns for the 29th pick, a protected first-round pick in 2029, and Vasilije Micic.
While the Hornets missed out on Knecht, that seems to be a good thing so far, as McNeely is living up to the hype.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLiam McNeeley has outplayed Dalton Knecht so far
Despite being touted as one of the best shooters in the country before his freshman season with the Huskies, McNeeley shot only 31.7% from deep, averaging 14.5 points.
Knecht shot 39.7% from deep in his final college season and remained solid, making 37.6% of his attempts in his rookie season with the Lakers.
However, Knecht was 23 years old when he was drafted, and McNeeley is only 19, giving him plenty of room to grow and improve.
In fact, he’s already flashed some improvement and has outplayed Knecht in the Summer League so far.
PlayerPPGRPGAPGFG%3PT%Dalton Knecht12.45.21.633.3%25.0%Liam McNeeley18.08.54.040.7%42.9%2025 Summer League Stats
The 2029 pick the Hornets nabbed is the least favorable of the Jazz, Timberwolves, and Cavaliers and will likely be a late selection, although by picking up McNeeley in the deal, Charlotte has added shooting and youth, with the possibility of having a star.
Knecht, on the other hand, is still expected to be traded after the original Williams deal fell through, and he isn’t doing much to help his value this summer.