Liam McNeeley NBA Draft: Top 5 landing spots for UConn star ft. San Antonio Spurs

After one college season, Liam McNeeley is heading to the NBA. The UConn star is declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Tuesday. In his sole season with the Huskies, McNeeley averaged 14.5 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

McNeeley was named the Big East Freshman of the Year and helped lead UConn to a No. 8 seed in March Madness and a second-round appearance. Still, it was a disappointing season for Dan Hurley's Huskies, who were back-to-back national champions in 2023 and 2024.

As a freshman, the 6-foot-7 McNeely led UConn in scoring. However, he struggled with shooting, hitting just 38.1% over 27 games.

The one-and-done forward is projected to be drafted somewhere in the 10-16 range. Let's look at where the young UConn star could end up.

Top 5 landing spots for Liam McNeeley

#1, San Antonio Spurs

In this year's strong draft class, Liam McNeeley could easily fall to the No. 16 spot. The NBA draft works on a lottery system, so no one knows the order of the picks yet. However, many mock drafts have the San Antonio Spurs receiving the No. 16 pick. Some mock drafts, including Bleacher Report and CBS college basketball insider Adam Finkelstein, have McNeeley being picked up by the Spurs at No. 16.

"McNeeley is a much better shooter than the numbers showed this year, so he would provide some needed spacing around Wemby," Finkelstein wrote. "He also made strides defensively."

San Antonio could benefit from a solid forward. The team's two top forwards are Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes, but both average less points per game than McNeeley did at UConn. Neither see the same level of rebounding or assist success as the Huskies forward.

McNeeley would be a welcome addition to the Spurs, serving as a high-scoring guad with rebounding and assisting success. He will need to work on his shooting to be a solid contributer in the NBA, but he could fit in nicely at San Antonio if that's where he ends up.

#2, Atlanta Hawks

Liam McNeeley could fit in nicely in Atlanta. The Hawks are widely expected to have the No. 14 pick in this year's draft, putting them in the position to possibly draft the UConn star.

Atlanta has a young, solid forward in Jalen Johnson, but Johnson could use help since fellow forward De'Andre Hunter was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. McNeeley's 6.0 rpg would rank fourth on the Hawks, and his 14.5 ppg would rank fifth. The one-and-done college star could be a good addition in Hunter's absence.

#3, Miami Heat

Mock drafts have Miami drafting anywhere between eighth and 11th. Being drafted this early would likely be the best-case scenario for McNeeley, but CBS analyst Kyle Boone seems confident that the UConn star will end up in Miami. He has McNeeley going to Miami in his mock draft.

"UConn lost its identity – and apparently its best player – when McNeeley went down with a high ankle injury earlier this year," Boone wrote. "He's returned an even more dynamic weapon, serving in various roles as a creator, scorer and winner. Tough prospect who plays with an edge."

The Heat have a solid small forward in Andrew Wiggins but lost Jimmy Butler in a trade to Golden State. Butler is a seasoned NBA star with over a decade of experience in the league. As a rookie, McNeeley won't bring that same level of expertise to Atlanta, but he could provide the Heat with a young forward who they can develop into a franchise star.

#4, Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are expected to have the 12th or 13th pick in the NBA draft, also making them a contender to draft Ian McNeeley. Dallas picked up a power forward in Anthony Davis, but McNeeley is considered more of a small forward. Dallas' star small forward is Naji Marshall, but McNeeley could provide depth.

In his sole college season, McNeeley averaged more points and rebounds than Marshall is currently averaging. Marshall is a more dynamic defensive player than McNeeley, but the two could complement each other nicely.

If McNeeley is still available when the Mavericks get to utilize their draft pick, they would be wise to select him.

#5, Orlando Magic

The Magic may end up with the No. 15 pick. Orlando is a pretty balanced team, with its top five scorers playing the five positions on the court. So, the team could look to add depth in any position and isn't desperate for one specific type of player.

Orlando could benefit from McNeeley's skill set. He would be the squad's fourth highest scorer and rebounder. Again, his shooting needs some work, but that can be developed throughout his rookie season.

Due to their balanced roster, it's hard to determine what position player the Magic will look to pick up with their first draft pick, but McNeeley could be a possible fit.