Cavaliers draft pick Meleek Thomas brings confidence to crowded guard spot

INDEPENDENCE — The Cavaliers have a plethora of guards on their roster, many of whom possess many of the same traits. That doesn't faze Meleek Thomas in the least. Cleveland's second-round draft pick signed his first professional contract Wednesday and will head out to the Las Vegas summer league in a little over a week. Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said previously that the 34th overall selection from the University of Arkansas is oozing with confidence. Altman said the Cavs received a first-round talent in the second round. "I trust in my faith and my work (ethic)," Thomas said at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "You can do anything with God." He said his excitement level is extremely high as he prepares to head west. "My skillset is going to take care of the rest," the Pittsburgh native said. "Whatever I can do to help the team, that's what I'll do." Thomas, 19, said he's capable of playing point guard and shooting guard. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder said he brings "all the intangibles" to the game, including leadership, intensity and energy. "Things that don't show up on the stat sheet," he said. His first impression of the Cavs is that "they mean business." "They love workers and I'm a worker myself," he said. "I feel welcome and feel at home." Cleveland has used second-round picks on combo guards in the last two drafts. In 2025, they selected Duke's Tyrese Proctor. The Cavs also have Craig Porter Jr. All three won't get minutes. "I just have to be patient," Thomas said. "There are a lot of great guards on the team. I'll learn from them and pick their brains. I'm not going to get ahead of myself." He said Razorbacks coach John Calipari has been in his corner since he arrived in Fayetteville. Calipari told him: "You have a real chance. I'm always with you." "I think Coach Cal saw my potential when he recruited me," Thomas said. He said he's always been competitive, as he grew up with six brothers and two sisters. "With a household like that, someone isn't going to get what they want," he said. "It helped mold competitive spirit." Thomas averaged 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 37 games last season. The 2024-25 McDonald's All-American led the Razorbacks in free throw percentage (.844), 3-point accuracy (.416) and steals (51) and ranked 10th in the SEC in field goals (203) and steals per game (1.5). The Cavaliers also signed University of Miami center Ernest Udeh Jr. to a two-way contract. The 6-11, 266-pounder was signed as an undrafted free agent after he averaged 6.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks and shot .727 from the field as a senior with the Hurricanes. He led the nation in defensive rebounding rate and ranked second in the ACC in rebounds and seventh in blocks to earn a spot on the ACC's All-Defensive team. Udeh, a McDonald's All-American in 2022, also played collegiately at TCU (2023-25) and Kansas (2022-23). Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.