Royce O’Neale has reached a rare milestone for undrafted NBA players

Roy O’Neal he made unique NBA history with his 3-point shot in Phoenix Suns match against Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.

O’Neal is in his ninth career season, third with the Suns. He has been in the league since 2017, starting his professional career as an undrafted player before signing with the Utah Jazz.

Going into the game against Los Angeles, O’Neal made 998 three-pointers during his career. He needed two more yeses reach the incredible milestone of 1,000 triplessomething that only eight other unrefined players had the honor of achieving.

It’s safe to say he made the grade against the Lakers. In 24 minutes of action, he finished with 12 points, five rebounds, one assist and a steal. He shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, making 1,002 career 3-pointers and counting.

1K from deep for Royce 👌

Congratulations Royce on making 1,000 career 3-pointers and becoming just the 9th undrafted player in NBA history to reach the milestone! pic.twitter.com/OacJOitVNp

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 15, 2025

As Royce O’Neal, the Suns played against the Lakers

Despite Royce O’Neal’s impressive feat as an undrafted player, the Suns were unable to follow that up with a win after falling to the Lakers 116-114.

Both teams exchanged blows during the game. Los Angeles led 111-97 with less than four minutes remaining, but Phoenix responded with a 12-0 run. The Suns even took the lead, but James and Marcus Smart made free throws in the final seconds to win on the road.

Free throws and rebounds made the difference in this match. The Lakers dominated in both categories, making 33 of 43 shots at the line with 54 rebounds. It wasn’t the same for the Suns as they made 21 of 25 free throws and grabbed 37 rebounds.

Six players scored in double figures for Phoenix in the loss, including O’Neill. Devin Booker led the way with 27 points, seven assists, six rebounds, one steal and a block. He shot 7-of-17 overall, including 0-of-5 from downtown and 13-of-16 from the charity stripe. Mark Williams followed with 20 points and six rebounds, Dillon Brooks had 18 points, Grayson Allen had 13 points and seven assists, and Colin Gillespie had 10 points and six assists.

Phoenix fell to a 14-12 record on the season, holding seventh place in the Western Conference standings. They are 1.5 games ahead of the Golden State Warriors and 2.5 ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, while trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves by three games and the San Antonio Spurs by 4.5 games.

The Suns will look to bounce back in their next match, staying at home. They host the Warriors on December 18th at 9:00 PM ET.