Arkansas freshman Meleek Thomas has officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, per CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein. The 2025-26 SEC All-Freshman selection will retain his college eligibility, which requires him to refrain from hiring an agent to represent his professional interests and remove his name from the draft pool by May 29. Of course, if Thomas gets promising feedback, he could decide not to return to the NCAA ranks. Keeping that in mind, the annual NBA Draft Combine is set to take place from May 10-17.
As of now, Thomas is considered a consensus late first-round prospect.
2026 NBA Draft Profile: Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
A 6-foot-5 off-guard who ranked top-15 in the SEC conference in points (579), 3-pointers (82) and steals (57) in 2025-26, Thomas flew under the radar throughout the 2025-26 season.
This was largely due to the clamor surrounding teammate Darius Acuff Jr., who was playing like the top point guard in the country. Yet, there was even a time when fellow Razorbacks wing Billy Richmond III was receiving more fanfare. Sure, Thomas didn’t have either Acuff or Richmond’s overall efficiency, shooting 43.5 percent from the field. Nevertheless, he knocked down 41.6 percent of his 3s while flashing his potential as a two-way playmaker.
Looking at the advanced numbers, he was a positive contributor at both ends, though he clearly has an offensive lean. To that point, 3.0 of his 4.0 win shares were offensive. His box plus-minus (7.0) was a bit more balanced, but his 4.8 offensive box-plus minus still did most of the heavy lifting. In that vein, he’s similar to Acuff and Richmond, though the former’s defensive deficiencies are more stark in contrast.
