The Cleveland Cavaliers traded out of the first round in the 2026 NBA Draft. They may have found a first-round talent anyway.
Second-round pick Meleek Thomas out of Arkansas has taken the NBA by storm early in his career, and he’s already into the Cavs starting lineup.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t hold back in giving Thomas an opportunity that he had already earned. The Cavs were taking on the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, and that was the game for which Atkinson chose to give Thomas a start.
The Cavs lost, but Thomas’ performance, and a quote from Atkinson afterward, show how bright his future might be.
Kenny Atkinson Quote on Meleek Thomas
Atkinson was asked about how Thomas has played as a rookie and about his decision to start him against the Thunder.
This was what the Cavs’ head coach said in summary:
“Guy’s gonna be a heck of a player.”
In some ways, Thomas already appears to be just that. The Cavs landed him early in the second round after deciding they didn’t like the board late in the first round, trading down a handful of spots to gain a little bit in the asset department. It certainly doesn’t seem like the Cavaliers made a mistake by going down the board, because they got a quick difference maker in Thomas.
Meleek Thomas Stats
Against the Thunder, Thomas got 26 minutes as the Cavs’ fifth starter alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
He scored 17 points while making 7-of-16 shots from the floor, including 3-for-9 from 3-point range. Thomas didn’t attempt a free throw.
He added five rebounds, one assist and one steal. Thomas didn’t commit a turnover.
Thomas has now shown in four consecutive games that he’s capable of reaching this level.
The Cavaliers actually didn’t play Thomas for a single minute in either of their first two games of the season, but once the Cavs started using him, they couldn’t stop.
Thomas debuted in the thrilling overtime win over the Timberwolves on Oct. 26 and had 16 points in 19 minutes.
He then played well in the win over the Wizards, putting up 10 points in 20 minutes.
Against the Bucks on Halloween, Thomas had 13 points in 23 minutes of a blowout win.
And then came Monday night, the Cavs’ first loss while playing Thomas, but a hard-fought outing for Cleveland against a strong Oklahoma City team.
Thomas was known as a scorer at Arkansas, and the hope was that he could bring an attack mentality off the Cleveland bench.
Turns out that might’ve been setting the bar too low. Thomas is already bringing that impressive mindset of his to the Cavaliers’ starting lineup.
Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson Quote About Meleek Thomas Says It All