Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas: Leads Cavs in Summer League win
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Thomas recorded 24 points (10-20 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two assists, two rebounds and one steal over 25 minutes in Friday's 100-91 Summer League win over the Bulls.
Thomas helped keep the Cavaliers afloat in the second half, with 15 of his game-high 24 points coming over the final two quarters of Friday's game. The rookie second-rounder has put together some strong performances in the Summer League, but unless he dominates in training camp and the preseason, he'll likely spend most of the 2026-27 season in the G League.
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Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas: Ruled out Wednesday
Rotowire
Thomas (rest) won't play in Wednesday's Summer League game against the Pelicans, per Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland.
The Cavaliers are monitoring the rookie second-rounder's reps Wednesday after he exploded for 35 points (14-23 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT) during Monday's 90-73 Summer League win over the Heat. His next chance to play comes during Friday's matchup with the Bulls.
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Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas: Drops 35 points in SL win
Rotowire
Thomas tallied 35 points (14-23 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block across 30 minutes in Monday's 90-73 Summer League win over the Heat.
Thomas put on a show Monday, delivering an extremely efficient performance and knocking down a game-high five triples en route to a game-best 35 points. The rookie second-rounder also tied for the game high in steals and was one of three Cavaliers players to record at least three combined steals-plus-blocks. Thomas has reached the 20-point mark in all three of his Las Vegas Summer League games thus far, and he has dropped 30-plus points in back-to-back outings.
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Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas: Stuffs stat sheet in SL defeat
Rotowire
Thomas tallied 30 points (10-24 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven assists, four rebounds and four steals across 34 minutes in Sunday's 103-94 Summer League loss to the Pistons.
After dropping 20 points in Friday's loss to the Pacers, Thomas erupted for a game-high 30 points Sunday. The rookie guard also dished out a game-high seven assists while leading the Cavaliers in steals. Through two Summer League outings, he's averaging 25.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 30.5 minutes per showing.
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Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas: Scores 20 points in SL loss
Rotowire
Thomas tallied 20 points (7-15 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists and one steal across 27 minutes in Friday's 99-93 Summer League loss to the Pacers.
Thomas scored six points on 1-of-3 shooting from the floor in the first half before erupting for 14 points during the second, including 12 in the fourth quarter alone. The 34th overall pick in this year's draft tied for the game high in scoring in his Summer League debut, and he also tied for second on the Cavaliers in rebounds. The 19-year-old guard out of Arkansas isn't guaranteed a consistent role in the Cleveland rotation as a rookie, as he's buried behind guys like Sam Merrill, Max Strus and Craig Porter.
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Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas: Taken by CLE at No. 34
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The Kings selected Thomas with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded him to the Cavaliers.
Thomas represents excellent value for the Cavaliers, who received a future second-round pick to move back from No. 29 and still got a first-round talent. The 19-year-old guard put together a highly productive freshman season under John Calipari at Arkansas, starting 21 of 37 games and establishing himself as a premier perimeter weapon. Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per contest while serving as the focal point of the Razorbacks' floor spacing. He proved to be a lethal threat from beyond the arc, knocking down an impressive 41.6 percent of his three-point attempts on substantial volume. His 43.5 percent mark from the field reflects some struggles finishing inside against elite collegiate size, so he may struggle in the NBA. Defensively, he uses his quick hands and active anticipation to disrupt passing lanes, pacing Arkansas in total steals. He lands with a Cleveland squad that can afford to bring him along slowly in a deep backcourt, offering him an ideal environment to refine his frame and physical tools while providing the bench with elite, ready-made shot-making depth.
