Cavs rumors: Cleveland lands player at No. 34 they would have drafted in Round 1

The Cleveland Cavaliers got what they wanted after all. During the first night of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, the Cavs decided to trade their No. 29 pick to the Sacramento Kings. In return, Cleveland secured the No.34th pick overall.

Apparently, the Cavs wanted to take Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas with that pick in the first round. In any case, they ended up with one of John Calipari’s former players, as Cleveland made Thomas the fourth name called in the second round of the draft.

“I believe Meleek Thomas would have been Cleveland’s pick last night, if the Cavaliers didn’t trade No. 29 to the Kings,” NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.

This turned out to be favorable for the Cavaliers, as it could save them money compared to selecting Thomas in the first round. Second-round picks can be signed to two-way contracts, which do not count against the team’s salary cap.

At 6-5, Thomas has great NBA size for a guard, and he can continue growing and sharpening his game with the Cavaliers, who have a backcourt that features established stars, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

Thomas played just a season in college, running alongside Darius Acuff Jr., who was taken in the first round by the Sacramento Kings. In his lone collegiate year, Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He appears to have a great touch from deep, as he shot an incredible 41.6 percent on 5.3 attempts from behind the arc through 37 games.

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