The Cleveland Cavaliers person signed Meleek Thomas to a four-year, $9.3 cardinal deal. Thomas was selected 34th wide by the Cavs past week successful the 2026 NBA Draft.
Thomas played 37 games with Arkansas past twelvemonth arsenic a freshman. He averaged 15.7 points and 3.8 rebounds arsenic a 6’3” sharpshooting combo-guard. The Cavs are excited to adhd an businesslike shot-maker similar Thomas to their roster.
Advertisement
“We were excited that helium was disposable successful the 2nd round,” said POBO Koby Altman aft selecting Thomas. “Usually, a feline of that caliber of scorer, that level of changeable maker, his profile, you get a batch earlier.”
The archetypal 3 years of the deal, worthy $6.4 million, are guaranteed to Thomas.
Thomas changeable supra 40% from heavy arsenic a freshman. His marksmanship is 1 of the main reasons Cleveland targeted him successful the draught contempt him being a guard. The Cavs are loaded successful the backcourt, but Thomas was excessively skilled for them to walk on.
Thomas doesn’t presumption the guards successful beforehand of him arsenic obstacles, however. He plans connected learning everything helium tin from Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
Advertisement
“There’s a batch of large guards connected the squad up of maine already, truthful conscionable learning, prime their encephalon connected what they did erstwhile they were rookies,” said Thomas. “Ultimately, each the cognition that I summation from James, Donovan, immoderate of the guards… maine gaining cognition from the ones that person been here, that’s gonna assistance me.”
The Cavs aren’t successful a presumption to springiness Thomas galore reps during his rookie season. This is simply a squad that is acceptable to vie for a rubric and perchance adjacent invited location LeBron James (again). That means patience volition beryllium cardinal successful processing the 19-year-old rookie.
Adding to his 190-pound framework is 1 of his main goals.
“The Cavs person a large spot programme going on, truthful my physicality… and conscionable immoderate of the high-level things that I mightiness not cognize that rookies get adjusted to,” said Thomas connected his absorption for development.
Advertisement
Thomas shows committedness arsenic a three-point shooter who took steps guardant arsenic a defender past year. Those are 2 skills that each NBA squad tin usage much of.
English (US) ·