Liam McNeeley’s path back into the Charlotte Hornets’ rotation is sitting right in front of him, but it won’t be handed to him. The rookie was a late first-round pick last year after the Hornets traded Mark Williams, and he came into a much-ballyhooed rookie class that quickly found roles around him.
McNeeley was the outlier. While Kon Knueppel nearly chased down Rookie of the Year honors, Ryan Kalbrenner started some games and logged more than 20 minutes a night, and Sion James carved out a real job because of his defense, McNeeley spent most of his time in the G League.
That backdrop matters now because the opening has finally arrived. With LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, and Miles Bridges gone, Charlotte has more room on the wing and in the lineup.
Injuries to Coby White, Kon Knueppel, and Grant Williams have also created minutes early this season. For the first week or two, McNeeley should be in the mix.
The catch is obvious: that window may not stay open for long, which makes the preseason and the first few games feel especially important.
The encouraging part for Charlotte is that McNeeley did show something in limited NBA minutes. He posted a 6.2 net rating and a 7.2 PIE, which is the kind of efficiency that keeps a coach interested.
But his role was mostly built around scoring the ball. His assist percentage checked in at 12.9%, solid enough, but nowhere near the level of the league’s real table-setters.
And that’s where the challenge comes in, because the Hornets may need more than shotmaking from him.
Charlotte already has plenty of wings who can space the floor. When Knueppel is back, McNeeley’s shooting alone won’t separate him from the pack.
He’s listed at 6-foot-7 and functions mainly as a wing, but so do Knueppel and Brandon Miller, and the Hornets are asking that group to help create offense too. There’s a big void where LaMelo Ball used to be, and Charlotte is trying to replace that production piece by piece.
If McNeeley can become part of that solution, his minutes should follow.
Charles Lee described McNeeley as “consistently confident” and said what is "so impressive" about him is that he responds to every challenge coaches give him. That’s the kind of trait that can keep a young player on the floor if the Hornets can push him in the right direction. If he grows there, Charlotte may have more than just another bench shooter.
If he doesn’t, the profile is easier to sort out. He would just be another capable wing in a crowded group that includes Knueppel, Miller, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and others.
McNeeley could still find a lane through defense, too; his 108.8 defensive rating hints at some usefulness on that end. But the clearer path is the one that asks him to do more with the ball.
Playmaking would give him the best shot at becoming a real rotation piece.
In Other News...
Hornets Face A Huge Brandon Miller Decision With Big Stakes
Charlotte is staring at one of the biggest decisions of its young core, with Brandon Miller in line for a major extension discussion that could shape the franchises next several seasons. Around the league, teams are already juggling the same kind of early-extension calculus with promising wings and guards, but Millers case stands out because of how quickly his value has climbed and how much the Hornets have tied themselves to his development.
The stakes go beyond simple salary structure. Charlotte has to balance the appeal of locking in a foundational scorer against the kind of long-term risk that comes with committing early in a players career, especially when the price tag can escalate fast in todays market. For a team trying to build around a young nucleus, the decision on Miller is as much about roster direction as it is about the number on the contract. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Millers Next Hornets Deal Could Get Very Expensive
Brandon Miller is already moving into the kind of contract conversation that signals a franchise has made its choice. The second-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is eligible for a rookie-scale extension with Charlotte, and the expectation is that the sides will work toward a long-term deal that reflects how important he has become to the Hornets future plans.
Head coach Charles Lee has publicly shown confidence in Miller as a foundational piece, which only adds to the sense that this next step is more about timing than uncertainty. Still, when a young wing starts lining up for a premium extension, the cost can climb quickly, and the Hornets are now staring at a negotiation that could shape their books as much as their roster. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Just Became Charlottes Most Important Reason For Hope
Brandon Miller has already made himself central to the Hornets long-term picture, and coach Charles Lee is leaning into that idea rather than trying to box it in. After a season in which Miller averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists, Lee described him as the kind of player who can grow into an elite two-way force, the sort of foundation a team can build around while it tries to climb back toward relevance.
That vision matters even more because Charlotte is mapping out a future lineup that could feature Miller alongside Coby White, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabat when the 2026-27 season opens. The Hornets are already talking like a team that wants to get back to the playoffs, and Miller sits at the center of that conversation, with his next leap likely to shape how high this group can go. [Read more 🡒]