The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, with a Cavs rookie stealing the show early in the contest.

Making his regular-season debut, Cavs guard Meleek Thomas raced down the court after a miss by Edwards at the free-throw line, beating Minnesota’s defense for a sweet-looking layup with over three minutes left in the first quarter.

The former Arkansas Razorbacks star didn’t stop there. In his first six minutes of action with the Cavs, he made eight points on 3-for-5 shooting from the field including a pair of 3-pointers, showing his range and ability to stretch the floor.

The Cavaliers selected Thomas in the second round (34th overall) of the 2026 NBA Draft, and he performed well in the Summer League and in the preseason. He still has plenty to learn in the pros, and will have to spend time in the shadows of the likes of former NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. At the same time, it’s never too early for Thomas to show the Cavs what he can bring to the table.

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Before turning pro, Thomas spent just a season in the college basketball ranks, playing a year under John Calipari with the Razorbacks. Calipari is known for being a prolific producer of NBA talent, and Thomas may have the potential to join the players who went through Calipari before becoming stars in the league.

The Cavs entered Monday with a 1-1 record and coming off a win at home over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.