The Cavaliers have drafted Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas with the No. 34 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
The Cavs originally traded out of the No. 29 overall selection, dealing that pick to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for No. 34, which they turned into Thomas, and a 2032 second-round pick.
Thomas starred at Arkansas in his one season of college basketball and is a former five-star recruit for the Razorbacks.
Here’s a look at more on Thomas.
Meleek Thomas stats at Arkansas
Thomas, in his freshman year with the Razorbacks, averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 43.5% shooting from the floor and 41.6% from 3-point range. He made the All-SEC Freshman Team.
Meleek Thomas height, weight
Meleek Thomas stands 6-3 and weighs 185 pounds.
Meleek Thomas high school stats
Thomas began his high school career at Lincoln Park in Midland, Pa., which is near Pittsburgh, where he starred for three years before playing his final year at Overtime Elite in Atlanta. At Overtime Elite, he averaged 31.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists and 38.1% on 3-pointers during the regular season.
At Lincoln Park, he led the team to back-to-back WPIAL 4A championships in 2023 and 2024 and was selected 4A all-state both seasons. He averaged 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.3 steals per game as a junior for a 28-3 Lincoln Park team. He scored 1,750 points in three years at Lincoln Park.
Meleek Thomas is a McDonald’s All-American
A five-star recruit entering college, Thomas also was a 2025 McDonald’s All-American, playing in the game that season at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Meleek Thomas high school honors
In addition to being a McDonald’s All-American, Thomas participated in the Jordan Brand Classic and the Iverson Classic following his senior season.
He also was an honorable mention 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Boys High School All-American. He was ranked No. 8 on the USA TODAY High School Sports basketball rankings of the top 15 players in the 2025 class.
Meleek Thomas played for Hall of Fame coach John Calipari at Arkansas
At Arkansas, Thomas played for John Calipari, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. Calipari and Thomas are both from the Pittsburgh area.
Meleek Thomas helps Arkansas win SEC Tournament title
Thomas played a key role in the Hogs winning their first SEC Tournament title since 2000. He scored 13 points to go with five assists in the win over Vanderbilt in the title game.
Meleek Thomas turned in Ironman performance in the SEC semifinals
Thomas came up huge in the semifinal win over Ole Miss, a 93-90 overtime win by the Razorbacks. Thomas played all 45 minutes, scoring a team-high 29 points to go with five assists and five rebounds.
Meleek Thomas played alongside lottery pick Darius Acuff Jr. at Arkansas
Thomas’ starred in the backcourt at Arkansas alongside Darius Acuff Jr., who the Sacramento Kings selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Ryan Lewis covers the Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers pick Meleek Thomas at No. 34 of 2026 NBA Draft. What to know
Reporting by Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
