What Arkansas basketball’s Meleek Thomas brings to Cleveland Cavaliers
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The latest one-and-done prospect under John Calipari is headed to Cleveland.
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The Cavaliers selected Arkansas basketball freshman Meleek Thomas with the No. 34 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, June 24. Thomas slid out of the first round and became the second Razorback to hear his name called, following Darius Acuff Jr.'s move to the Sacramento Kings with the No. 7 pick. Teammate Trevon Brazile followed immediately after Thomas as the No. 35 pick to the Nuggets.
Last year, Calipari and the Razorbacks didn't have a player chosen with the first 30 picks. It ended a 17-year run with at least one first-round draft pick, but the Hall of Fame coach's drought didn't last long thanks to Acuff.
Here's a look at Thomas' time at Arkansas, and what Cleveland fans can expect from the Pittsburgh native.
Meleek Thomas with Arkansas basketball
Thomas was a five-star recruit coming out of the Overtime Elite prep league. He began his Arkansas career coming off the bench, but his offensive game eventually forced Calipari's hand.
The 6-foot-5 guard became a permanent starter on Jan. 20 against Vanderbilt and went on to reach double-figure points in 15 of the final 18 games. He was the second-best scorer on an Arkansas team that reached the Sweet 16 and won the SEC Tournament title.
He averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists during his only collegiate season. He shot 43.5% overall and 41.6% from 3-point range.
His shooting reached another level during the season's most important stretch. Thomas shot an Arkansas record 48.7% (38-78) from 3-point range in SEC games.
Thomas also got stronger on defense as the season wore on and finished the campaign with a team-high 57 steals. His long arms make him an intriguing defensive option against smaller guards.
What Meleek Thomas brings to the Cleveland Cavaliers
In the 3-and-D era of the NBA, Thomas could be the perfect role player for a championship contender.
He's one of the best shooters in the draft and already proved his capabilities as an off-ball, second-option scorer during his time at Arkansas. Acuff was the star, and Thomas was his running mate.
Thomas has a knack for making contested shots that many players wouldn't consider attempting. His shot-making highlights from the Overtime Elite League carried over to Arkansas. His ball-handling needs work, and Thomas must prove he can be a reliable scorer inside the paint. He wasn't a threat as a driver finishing at the rim with Arkansas.
However, if those traits develop, he could become a proficient one-on-one scorer at the next level.
Thomas plays with a motor defensively, and his wingspan makes up for a slight lack of size when guarding other wings. He must add strength, but Thomas is still only 19-years old.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: What Arkansas basketball’s Meleek Thomas brings to Cavaliers in NBA