The Cavaliers first traded out of the first round and then landed a guard who can add some scoring potential to the rotation early in the second round Wednesday, June 24, with the selection of Arkansas’ Meleek Thomas with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Cavs traded the No. 29 pick to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for No. 34 and a 2032 second-rounder during the first round of the draft Tuesday.
They then selected Thomas, ranked as the No. 14 overall guard and the No. 29 overall player in the draft by ESPN.
“Usually a guy of that caliber of scorer, that level of shot-maker, his profile, you get a lot earlier [than No. 34],” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said via Zoom. “So it made sense for us to move back, give us a little more flexibility when you’re able to acquire a second-round pick … We’re really excited about Meleek and his shot-making ability and his confidence level at 19 years old.”
NBA Draft grades, analysis as Cavaliers select Meleek Thomas
Thomas is a talented scorer, averaging 15.6 points in his freshman season with Arkansas. He nearly shot equal percentages from the floor (43.5) as he did from 3-point range (41.6), making him a focal point of the Razorbacks offense.
Thomas is noted by some scouts and analysts as having deep range, and the confidence and touch to shoot effectively from the perimeter. He’s also been applauded for his effort on both ends of the floor. Although he isn’t known as a lock-down defender by any means, he also wasn’t a liability like many other scoring guards.
At the end of the first round and into the second round, teams often begin looking for upside more than anything. Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said the team viewed Thomas as a first-round pick who they believed would be off the board by pick No. 34, and many of the consensus rankings back that up.
It’s difficult to find fault with the pick in any way considering the Cavs added a capable scoring guard in the second round who shouldn’t be a leaking ship on the defensive end either, especially if he can add some muscle for the NBA game.
Thomas also has enough size to potentially fit into a few roles in Kenny Atkinson’s rotation. He often played off the ball at Akransas, and Altman noted the Cavs will find him plenty of reps playing point guard in summer league.
He’s a pick who would have been viewed as perfectly reasonable at No. 29, and the Cavs were able to still select him while also picking up a future second-round pick and save $2.9 million in the process.
“We’re just sitting there like, let’s not talk ourselves out of this. If this is available to us at 34, we’re going to go all in,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said via Zoom, referencing the Cavs trading back from No. 29. “I remember the last time we had a draft workout of that caliber, it was Jaylon Tyson, and it just left such an impression on us that we’re like, if [Tyson] gets to 20, we have to take him. And Meleek left that kind of an impression on us.”
Meleek Thomas draft grade: A-
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: Meleek Thomas to Cavaliers in NBA draft: Instant grade, analysis, stats
Reporting by Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
