Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas Breaks Rookie 3-Game Summer League Record With 85 Points as 2026 Class Impresses
Updated
Updated · Bleacher Report · Jul 15
Cavaliers' Meleek Thomas Breaks Rookie 3-Game Summer League Record With 85 Points as 2026 Class Impresses
3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Jul 15
Summary
Second-round pick Meleek Thomas has become the standout of Las Vegas, scoring 85 points in his first three summer league games to pass Damian Lillard's rookie record while averaging 28.3 points for Cleveland.
That surge helped define an early review of the 2026 rookie class, which has also featured strong starts from top picks AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.
Wilson's 35-point debut and Dybantsa's 25.0-point average earned top marks, while Boozer posted 22.0 points and 7.0 rebounds and Peterson flashed scoring talent despite shaky efficiency and 5.0 turnovers per game.
Not every lottery pick has delivered: Clippers guard Keaton Wagler shot 30.4%, Hornets guard Christian Anderson averaged 1.0 assist against 3.0 turnovers, and several teams got stronger returns from later picks.
Across the league, the early grades suggest this rookie class has both star power and depth, with multiple second-rounders already pushing for rotation consideration.