Donovan Mitchell Calls Cavaliers Rookie Meleek Thomas 'The Real Deal'

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded out of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft and took Meleek Thomas with the 34th pick on June 24. Thomas signed a four-year contract July 1, then led the Las Vegas Summer League in scoring.

Donovan Mitchell held off on judging the rookie by summer league alone. After seeing him in other settings, Mitchell came away impressed.

"That kid is a dog," Mitchell said. "Like, he is who he thinks he is. Like, there's some guys that talk and have that aura about them, and he's a kid that ever since I first saw him — and I can see it in summer league, but you're like, all right, maybe it's summer league. You try to figure it out."

"And we got to Phoenix. All right, cool. Then we got to New York. Then we got to OTAs," Mitchell continued. "And I'm sitting there like, man, this kid is still going. And every day in the conversation, he wants to learn, right? He asks so many questions."

"It reminds me of myself," Mitchell added. "Like, I wanted to know everything from everybody. And he asked myself. He asked James. He asked TB, right? He asked the coaches. He's the real deal. And I'm excited for him this year."

In four summer league games, Thomas averaged 27.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. He shot 50.0% from the field, 43.8% from 3-point range, and 100% from the free-throw line, and he scored at least 20 points every time out.

He debuted July 10 with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His 85 points across his first three games were the most by any player to open a summer league stint, according to Rookie Wire. His best night was a 35-point game.

Thomas made the All-Summer League first team with Cameron Boozer, Brayden Burries, Caleb Wilson, and Yaxel Lendeborg. All 30 NBA teams voted on the selections. Thomas was the only player on the first team who was not a lottery pick.

The 27.3-point average is the third-highest in summer league history, according to cleveland.com. Marcus Banks is ahead of him off a single game in 2007. So is Mitchell, who averaged 28 points across two games for the Utah Jazz in 2017. Among players who appeared in at least four games, Thomas holds the top mark.

Before the draft, Thomas spent one season at Arkansas. He averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as a freshman. He is 19.

Koby Altman, the Cavaliers' president of basketball operations, said after the pick that the front office did not expect Thomas to still be available in the second round and considered him a first-round talent, according to NBC Sports.

Mitchell's list included James Harden, the 11-time All-Star and 2018 MVP who re-signed with Cleveland in August. Harden, 37, has played 17 NBA seasons. Mitchell is entering his 10th.

Thomas is one of 21 players Cleveland is taking to Spain. The training camp roster includes two-way players Tristan Enaruna, Riley Minix, and Ernest Udeh Jr. and camp invitees Rashaun Agee, Zack Austin, Curtis Jones, and Kadary Richmond. Agee played for Cleveland's summer league team.

The team arrives in Spain on Tuesday. The full camp itinerary has four days of practice at The Embassy in Fuengirola before a scrimmage in Málaga on Oct. 4.

Cleveland opens the preseason against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 8 at Rocket Arena. Tip-off is 7 p.m. ET.