The Cavaliers are getting the nod Wednesday night in Las Vegas, and Meleek Thomas is a big reason why. Cleveland grabbed its first Summer League win Monday behind a 35-point outburst from the rookie, and oddsmakers have now made the Cavs the favorite against a Pelicans group that has taken a different approach to the event.
New Orleans is 2-1 in Las Vegas, but those wins have come without facing a team loaded with major young talent. The Pelicans also didn’t bring first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and chose to keep their top young players off the summer roster, including Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen ahead of their second NBA seasons.
Thomas has been the headliner for Cleveland through three games, and the numbers jump off the page: 28.3 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, along with 50% shooting from the field, 46% from 3 and 100% at the line. He’s also hit 46 percent from beyond the arc overall in Summer League and has been a constant scoring threat for the Cavs.
The second-round pick’s 35 against Miami on Monday only strengthened the case that he can carry the offense here. Cleveland will be looking to get back to .500 this summer, and Thomas should again be at the center of everything it does on that end.
There’s also a chance this summer run is giving Thomas a real push toward a role in the rookie season. He averaged 15.6 points per game and shot better than 41 percent from 3 in his lone college season at Arkansas, and he’s looked even more dangerous in Las Vegas.
Cleveland has also had big man Nae'Qwan Tomlin in the mix this summer, though he may be done after sitting out the win over Miami. Even so, the Cavs’ talent level looks stronger than New Orleans’ on this slate.
The Pelicans do have wins over Phoenix and Charlotte, but they also lost to a Minnesota team that has since dropped two games by a combined 46 points. That’s part of why Cleveland is drawing the favorite tag, and why Thomas’ scoring could be the swing factor again.
I think Cleveland is worth a look as a favorite in this game, especially if Thomas is able to put up another big scoring performance.
In Other News...
Pelicans Final Summer League Game Put The Roster Bubble In Focus
The Pelicans wrapped up their 2026 Summer League slate with an 82-77 loss to Cleveland, finishing 2-2 after a week that offered a clearer look at the edges of the roster than the top of it. Hunter Dickinson, Jaron Pierre Jr., Kobe Bufkin and Jalon Moore all sat out the finale, leaving New Orleans to sort through the remaining rotation pieces while Dickinsons place is already set on a two-way deal.
Chris Bell gave the Pelicans a productive closing note, leading the way with 12 points on efficient shooting, while Malik Dia and Markquis Nowell each found ways to contribute even as their shots didnt fall. For a team still weighing summer league performances against roster reality, the final game did what these exhibitions often do best: it sharpened the conversation about who is in, who is close, and who still has work to do. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Suddenly Linked To A Franchise-Changing 2027 Draft Spot
A fresh 2027 mock draft has given the Pelicans an eye-catching bit of long-range optimism, with CBS Sports Cameron Salerno slotting New Orleans at No. 2 overall and connecting the franchise to Arkansas guard Jordan Smith Jr. It is the kind of projection that can feel absurdly early on the calendar, but it also speaks to how quickly draft positioning can swing when a team controls multiple future assets and the league landscape starts to shift.
New Orleans is expected to be in the mix for a premium pick because of the way its own selection and Milwaukees future first-rounder are intertwined, with Atlanta set to receive the less favorable outcome. Smiths defensive upside and length make him an intriguing name to monitor, but his final draft range will still hinge on how his scoring develops over the coming season, and there is already at least one question about whether he would be the cleanest fit for the Pelicans backcourt picture. [Read more 🡒]