Meleek Thomas Among Summer's Stock Risers After Leading Summer League in Scoring

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Meleek Thomas was one of eight rookies named as stock risers in Raphielle Johnson's NBC Sports column published Tuesday morning.

Thomas looks ready to supply scoring off the bench as a rookie. However, throughout the games, sharing the floor with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell should open space for him.

Through four games in Las Vegas, Thomas averaged 27.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.5 3-pointers. Nobody in the Summer League scored more.

He shot 50.0% from the field, 43.8% from 3-point range, and 100% from the free throw line. Every appearance reached 20 points.

Thomas made the All-Summer League First Team with Cameron Boozer, Brayden Burries, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Caleb Wilson. The other four went in the top 11. Thomas went 34th.

Only two players in Summer League history have averaged more. Marcus Banks put up 42 in a single 2007 game. Mitchell averaged 28 across two games in 2017.

Thomas debuted July 10 against Indiana with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Cleveland lost 99-93.

Two days later against Detroit he scored 30 on 10-of-24 shooting and added 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals in a 103-94 loss. The next night he hit Miami for 35 on 14-of-23, including 5-of-9 from deep, in a 90-73 win. That gave him 85 points over three games, the most by any player opening a Summer League stint.

He rested against New Orleans. Back for the finale on July 17, Thomas scored 24 on 10-of-20 in a 100-91 win over Chicago.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took him 34th overall on June 24. Cleveland had held the 29th pick and traded it to Sacramento, which selected Alex Karaban. Thomas signed a four-year contract on July 1.

Koby Altman, Cleveland's president of basketball operations, said after the pick that the front office did not expect Thomas to reach the second round and called him a first-round talent.

As a freshman at Arkansas, Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He shot 43.5% from the field and 41.6% from 3-point range.

He is 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds. He turns 20 on Aug. 6.

Harden declined his $42.3 million player option for 2026-27 and remains unsigned while negotiating a new deal with Cleveland. Mitchell, Darius Garland, Craig Porter Jr., and Tyrese Proctor are under contract. The Cavaliers exercised their team option on Porter.

New York swept Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals last season. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson opens training camp in the fall.