The Cleveland Cavaliers certainly didn’t need another undersized wing with Max Strus, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Tyrese Proctor and Keon Ellis (free agent) in the mix, although Thomas was probably the best player on the board at No. 34 overall.
The Cavs did save $2.9 million in projected salary by trading back into the second round and picked up a future second from Sacramento, an important addition as Cleveland had previously parted with all of its future seconds at the 2026 trade deadline.
Thomas was projected to go No. 24 overall by B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman in his final mock, as the 6’5″ guard shot 45.0 percent from three over his final 19 games at Arkansas after joining the starting lineup.