The Arkansas basketball standout is thinking about an NBA career, but it's a wait-and-see situation
Will Meleek Thomas leave Arkansas basketball to go to the 2026 NBA draft? We don't know for sure.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and other outlets noted what Calipari said this past week: "I'm going to see if we can get Meleek in the first round somewhere."
This is the John Calipari plan: turning young basketball players into NBA first-rounders and giving them the financial boost which will help their families and set them up for years, if not for life. Calipari cherishes being able to help not just the young men he coaches, but the families who entrust their sons to him. It's what makes Calipari deeply happy beyond the pursuit of championships and Final Fours. This is what Calipari has consistently talked about throughout his career, particularly in recent weeks when lamenting the professionalization of college basketball and the emergence of mid-20-something players, including from basketball's professional minor leagues and from overseas in Europe.
Will Meleek Thomas go in the first round, though? NBA teams have to give Thomas and Calipari assurances that he will be a first-round pick, and right now, that's uncertain, as Sports Illustrated wrote:
"The primary risk of Thomas declaring now lies in the sheer volume of elite guard talent in the 2026 NBA Draft class. From Darryn Peterson’s projected top-three spot to teammate Darius Acuff Jr., the projected lottery class is littered with high-potential guards who have generally earned greater buzz than Thomas to this point.
"In a crowded field, a late first-round landing spot often means fewer guaranteed minutes and a shorter leash for a prospect whose ceiling is tied to high-volume scoring. Thomas remains a high-upside project as his elite flashes are occasionally offset by questionable shot-taking process and a frame that still needs added muscle to absorb NBA-level contact. In the league, these growing pains can quickly relegate a rookie to the end of the bench rather than the center of a development plan. This risk intensifies the further a player slides, as teams are far more likely to treat a lottery pick as a franchise cornerstone than a late-round selection viewed primarily as a developmental gamble. As a result, it's important that Thomas be drafted earlier in the first round to a destination that has the patience and structure to develop the talented scorer through these growing pains. While it's possible he could be drafted closer towards the lottery come June, this possibility isn't currently reflected in draft projections."
Meleek Thomas doesn't have to make up his mind right now. He's going to wait, get input from NBA teams, try to crush pre-draft workouts, and then find out if he really will be a first-round pick. The waiting game is on.