Meleek Thomas shoots a three-pointer
Ethan Doan // Staff Photographer
After not hearing their names called on night one, Arkansas stars Meleek Thomas and Trevon Brazile are drafted with picks #34 (Cleveland Cavaliers) and #35 (Denver Nuggets), respectively.
Thomas and Brazile are Arkansas’ second and third selections of the draft, tying the 2023 class for most Razorback selections since 1992 (A record four). Darius Acuff Jr. was drafted No. 7 overall by the Sacramento Kings in the first round.
The Cavaliers acquired the pick for Thomas and a future second-round pick through a multi-team trade with the Kings which saw Sacramento end up with pick No. 29, with which they drafted UConn’s Alex Karraban.
Thomas was widely-projected as a first-round pick, his fall along with other notable prospects, such as Duke’s Isaiah Evans, was a surprise to some. The 6-foot-3 All-SEC Freshman selection put together a strong freshman campaign to help the Razorbacks make it to the postseason.
Thomas averaged 16 points alongside four rebounds and a steal and a half a game and he had a season-high of 30 points against Mizzou and was a crucial part of the Hog’s March Madness run. Thomas’ usage went up as the season progressed and it allowed the young guard to showcase his explosive offense and the ability to lock down his opponents top scorer.
The Nuggets came into possession of Brazile’s pick from yet another trade which saw them send the No. 26 pick, used on UConn’s Tarris Read, for the 35th pick and two future second-round picks.
At 23, Brazile is one of the older players in the draft which played into his second round selection. The dynamic big tested the NBA Draft waters back in 2023, but ultimately returned to Arkansas for the upcoming season.
Brazile averaged 13 points alongside almost two blocks and steals a game for the Razorbacks and was a defensive anchor for Hogs for most of the season. The stretch-big Brazile also showcased effective shooting from the 3-Point line at 34% and maintained paint efficiency as a consistent lob-threat.
Thomas finds himself on a Cleveland Cavaliers team that finished 52-30 in the regular season and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals as a 4-Seed in this year’s playoffs. Veteran guards Donovan Mitchell and Former MVP James Harden lead the backcourt, with plenty of experience for Thomas to learn from.
Denver finished the regular season 54-28 earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs before being eliminated by the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves. Brazile finds himself in a talented backcourt with NBA champions Aaron Gordon and Three-Time MVP Nikola Jokic whom he could learn from.
With Thomas and Brazile coming off the board in the second round, Coach Cal adds two more draft selections to his belt. If they stack up to his previous selections is yet to be seen, as all eyes will be on the former Hogs as they begin their professional careers.
 After an impressive season which saw the Hogs take home an Southeastern Conference Championship and a Sweet-16 Berth, Meleek Thomas and Trevon Brazile have been selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets in the 2nd round of the 2026 Draft.
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