When the Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, Koby Altman put the wheels in motion on a return to form. Altman went all-in on the NBA Draft, selecting pillars of the franchise and supplementing their talents with undervalued complementary pieces and co-stars.
With James now rumored to be considering a return to Cleveland, rookie guard Meleek Thomas is reminding the Cavaliers of what got them to where they are today.
The Cavaliers have clearly leaned on their All-Star acquisitions during their ascension to the top half of the Eastern Conference. Donovan Mitchell is the team's leading scorer, Jarrett Allen is a nightly double-double threat, and James Harden quickly emerged as the team's primary playmaker in 2025-26.
Cleveland may continue the pattern by reuniting with James, as Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that the Cavaliers are viewed as the team to beat for the four-time MVP in free agency.
"A third (and bow-tying) marriage with the Cleveland Cavaliers continues to be regarded as “the scenario to beat” by the the teams pursuing James that have been most frequently mentioned: Golden State, Miami, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Denver."
It's entirely fair for Cleveland to carry on with improving its roster through free agency and the trade market, but Thomas' summer league play is reminding the front office of the importance of continuing to build through the draft.
As Cavs pursue LeBron, Meleek Thomas shows importance of NBA Draft
Thomas has been sensational for the Cavaliers during summer league. Through three games, he's averaging 28.3 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 offensive rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 3.7 three-point field goals made on .500/.458/1.000 shooting.
A dynamic three-level scoring threat who excelled on defense in college, Thomas is already looking like the force of nature Cleveland took a chance on him becoming at the 2026 NBA Draft.
Clearly, a learning curve will be waiting for Thomas when he steps foot onto an NBA court. His summer league play is still noteworthy, however, as it proves that the talent level is legitimate, even if other factors have yet to be decided.
More importantly, it acts as a reminder of how important drafting well has been to Cleveland's success in recent years—which includes a trip to the Conference Finals, a 60-win season, and four straight postseason appearances.
Cavaliers can star chase, but they must continue to value the NBA Draft
Cleveland's most noteworthy draft picks in recent years were Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. Mobley has become a Defensive Player of the Year, while Garland led Cleveland to a 22-win improvement before Mitchell ever joined the team.
Jaylon Tyson, meanwhile, played a pivotal role for the Cavaliers as a rare source of wing depth with Max Strus sidelined by injury in 2025-26.
Furthermore, Tyrese Proctor showed flashes of promise as a rookie this past season and should have a chance to build upon that success in 2026-27. Former undrafted signee Craig Porter Jr. averaged 17.9 minutes per game in his third season with Cleveland as he too emerged as a promising contributor.
Though the Cavaliers are understandably star chasing with their potential reunion with James, Thomas has offered a humbling reminder that drafting well and building for more than just one season remains essential to creating depth and overcoming potential injuries.
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