Cavaliers Get Encouraging Meleek Thomas Update Before Facing Bucks

The Cleveland Cavaliers upgraded rookie guard Meleek Thomas to probable Saturday for their game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. He had been listed as questionable Friday with right foot inflammation and soreness.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET.

On Thursday, with the Cavaliers playing for the second straight night, Thomas sat out a 114-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He had carried a questionable tag into that game for right foot soreness and was later ruled out. Off the bench for Cleveland, Tyrese Proctor finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Thomas did not play in either of the first two games. Cleveland lost the opener to the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 on Oct. 22, then beat Brooklyn 125-121 at home two nights later.

Monday’s game against Minnesota was his first. Thomas checked in off the bench, played 19 minutes, and went 4-of-5 from 3-point range on the way to 16 points, finishing 6-of-10 from the field as Cleveland won 127-125 in overtime. Donovan Mitchell gave him the game ball afterward, and the NBA’s account posted video of it on X.

James Harden and Mitchell’s willingness to help told Thomas they saw his potential.

“You can’t really keep a star in the closet for too long,” Thomas said after his debut.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said matchups were part of the reason Thomas sat out the first two games. Cleveland also needed a third ball handler to support Mitchell and Harden, he said.

“The vets love him,” Atkinson said. “They love him because he can play. But they love him because he listens, he’s inquisitive. … He gets it, he’s smart, he’s asking questions. … Rare, he’s rare.”

Two nights later, Thomas had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 20 minutes of Cleveland’s 121-111 win over Washington. He went 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 at the free-throw line.

“Wait until he gets more comfortable in the league,” Atkinson explained after the game. “He’s going to [be] an important part of this [team].”

That leaves him at 13.0 points a game through two appearances, on 10-of-17 shooting with 4 makes in 6 tries from 3-point range.

Cleveland traded the 29th pick to Sacramento for the 34th pick and a 2032 second-rounder, then took Thomas at 34 on June 24.

Arkansas coach John Calipari had him for one season. Thomas played in every one of the Razorbacks’ 37 games, started 21 of them, and averaged 15.6 points while leading the team at the free-throw line at 84.3%.

From 3-point range, he made 41.6% of his attempts overall. Against SEC opponents he was even better, hitting 38 of 78 for a 48.7% clip that set the Arkansas record for conference play.

His college high came March 7 at Missouri. With Darius Acuff Jr. out, Thomas scored 30 points and played all 45 minutes of an overtime game.

Thomas led the Las Vegas Summer League in scoring at 27.3 points per game across four games.

Jaylon Tyson will not play Saturday. Cleveland ruled him out with a right ankle sprain after he had 3 points on 1-of-7 shooting in Atlanta, where he played through a questionable designation for a cervical strain.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin is out with a low back stress reaction. Khalifa Diop is on assignment in the G League.

Cleveland is 3-2, with both losses on the road. Milwaukee is 1-4.

The Cavaliers return to Rocket Arena on Monday to host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. ET. Two days later, Cleveland visits Oklahoma City.