The biggest steal of 2026 NBA Draft after Summer League is someone who might play with LeBron James

However, the biggest steal of the draft has to be someone who entered Summer League as one of the less-heralded picks in the late first-round or the second round.

That’s exactly where Meleek Thomas came from, the 2026 Summer League standout from the Cleveland Cavaliers who might be teammates with LeBron James in the 2026-27 season.

Meleek Thomas is the biggest steal of the 2026 NBA Draft after Summer League

Thomas, a 19-year-old prospect who spent one season with John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks, went No. 34 in the 2026 Draft to the Cavaliers.

The 6’3″ scoring guard averaged 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals in 29.0 minutes per game at Summer League. He shot 50.0% from the field, 43.8% from three, and 100% at the line with a respectable 1.5 turnovers per game.

Thomas’ efficiency as a self-creating scorer, as well as his defensive activity, was impressive to see. Thomas hopes to crack the rotation on a win-now Cavaliers squad as a rookie, with his Summer League performance clearly highlighting that his scoring is already at a high-level.

One of the primary reasons Thomas fell to No. 34 in the Draft after being a five-star high school recruit was because of concerns over his defense and ability to translate his scoring at the NBA level. Summer League is inconclusive, but it was a fantastic example of what Thomas can be as he develops in the NBA.

With him being 19 years old and a prospect with a high ceiling, the fact that he’s already looking comfortable in open play definitely makes him the biggest steal of the Draft, as he’s a long-term project who’s shown immediate NBA-readiness far earlier than anticipated.

Other potential contenders for the title of ‘biggest steal’

One of the biggest Summer League standouts was Denver Nuggets guard Bryce Hopkins, who was the 49th pick in the 2026 Draft.

He averaged 18.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in Summer League, ranking below Thomas primarily because he will be 24 years old by the time the season starts and has limited growth potential.

Houston Rockets’ Bruce Thornton was very impressive as the first pick in the second round (No. 31), averaging 18.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 steals, while shooting 40.6% from three on 6.4 attempts per game.

Thornton will likely be a rotational contributor for the win-now Rockets next season, but he ranks below Thomas because he’ll be 23 years old when the season starts, and because he shot 39.1% from the field despite being an excellent three-point shooter.

Other candidates here were Emanuel Sharp (No. 45), Nick Martinelli (No. 55), and Baba Miller (No. 36).

Could Meleek Thomas attract LeBron James to the Cavaliers?

The LeBron James sweepstakes are still active, with the Cavaliers still considered the favorites by many as LeBron’s next destination.

Could the potential of a young scorer like Thomas interest James?

LeBron doesn’t have the time to complete his developmental story as he did for Austin Reaves, but having a high-potential young guard like Thomas could help allay James’ worries that he would have to carry too much of the scoring load behind Donovan Mitchell.

In addition, Thomas has boosted his value as a potential trade chip with his incredible Summer League performance. If the Cavaliers need to make roster adjustments after acquiring James, Thomas could be a useful trade chip for a franchise with minimal draft assets or tradeable contracts.

Thomas likely cannot move the needle for LeBron’s decision, but he should hope he gets to share the locker room with James next season to continue unlocking his long-term potential as a star guard in the NBA.