The Los Angeles Lakers have scheduled a pre-draft workout with Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas – and the timing is no accident.
Thomas sits at No. 26 on HoopsHype’s big board, one spot behind the Lakers’ own No. 25 pick. That proximity alone makes this one of the most purposeful workouts on LA’s entire pre-draft calendar, and dynasty managers should be taking notes right now.
The Lakers have run workouts with as many as 27 prospects ahead of the June 23-24 NBA Draft. Thomas is the highest-ranked player on their reported workout list – a detail that carries weight when you’re trying to decode front-office priorities. The draft is three weeks away.
Meleek Thomas Is a 19-Year-Old Shot-Maker With a Pro-Ready Shooting Profile
Meleek Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game across 37 games for Arkansas this season – numbers that look clean on the surface but get genuinely impressive when you dig deeper.
He shot 41.6% from three on 5.3 attempts per game. His true shooting percentage clocked in at .559.
His three-point attempt rate sits at .422 – firmly in modern high-volume territory – and he averaged just 1.0 turnover per game despite carrying real offensive responsibility. Synergy-style breakdowns show him connecting on roughly 50% of corner threes and 39% above the break.
The NCAA Tournament confirmed what the regular season suggested. Thomas dropped 21 and 19 points in Arkansas’ first two tournament wins, then added 17 against Arizona – finishing with eight steals across three games.
NBA Draft Room called him “a big time shot-maker with range on his jumper” who “competes at a high level and gives good effort on both ends” (Via NBA Draft Room). That reads like a player, not a prospect.
His physical tools back the production up. Thomas measures between 6’3″ and 6’5″ with a near 6’7″ wingspan – legitimate size to guard both backcourt spots at the NBA level despite profiling primarily as a combo guard.
The Lakers Need Exactly What Thomas Does Best
The Los Angeles Lakers have a real positional problem to solve. LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura are all on expiring contracts. The roster shape heading into next season is genuinely unclear – and the front office cannot afford to use the No. 25 pick on a need-filler who won’t be ready for two years.
Thomas is not that guy. He is a proven scorer at the college level who already operates efficiently within a structured system – exactly what a Luka Doncic-led team needs off the bench.
Bleacher Report analyst Jonathan Wasserman put it directly: “Shooting versatility and the ability to play in ball screens with pacing, a dangerous pull-up game and floater should help Meleek Thomas succeed in a combo-guard role.” That is a description of a player built for a star-driven system.
The concern is redundancy. The Lakers have already drafted Dalton Knecht and Jalen Hood-Schifino at the guard position in recent cycles – neither has fully delivered on their draft-night promise.
Another guard pick invites real questions about positional logjam. The frontcourt – particularly with Deandre Ayton‘s future uncertain – is arguably the more urgent need. The Lakers haven’t drafted a true big since landing Ivica Zubac at No. 32 back in 2016. That gap is becoming harder to ignore.
Directional call: Thomas is a genuine fit on paper, but he’s competing with perimeter prospects like Texas guard Dailyn Swain and Duke wing Isaiah Evans for the same draft slot. The workout is meaningful – not a courtesy call. If the Lakers stay at No. 25, Thomas should be viewed as a top-three realistic targets.
Fantasy and Betting Implications for Meleek Thomas at No. 25
In dynasty rookie drafts, Thomas is currently floating in the mid-to-late first-round range – appropriate for a player projected late in the actual draft. But his landing spot will define his fantasy ceiling more than his talent level does.
A Lakers pick at No. 25 inside a Doncic-led system limits his upside in Year 1. A landing spot with a rebuilding team – like the Detroit Pistons, who have also worked him out – could accelerate his fantasy timeline significantly.
For redraft purposes, Thomas has no immediate value until he’s drafted and deployed in a real rotation. Watch his ADP move upward over the next two weeks as workout buzz builds. He’s been mocked to the Lakers at No. 25 by Wasserman and others – if that pick holds and Thomas lands there, his dynasty ADP should jump 10-15 spots overnight.
Honest flag: The Lakers also hold the option of packaging No. 25 in a trade for established talent. If that happens, Thomas’ draft position shifts entirely – and so does his fantasy value. Monitor that situation closely before committing heavy dynasty capital.
On the futures side, Thomas landing in the 20-27 range feels like the consensus projection. Betting his draft position against a board that has him in that window carries limited edge right now. Wait for workout reports and any post-interview signals before acting.
Watch the Next Two Weeks Closely – The Draft Picture Is Coming Into Focus
The NBA Draft lands on June 23-24. Between now and then, additional workout reports, medical updates, and insider mock drafts will tighten the picture around Thomas considerably. The Detroit workout confirmation signals he’s generating real mid-first-round interest across multiple front offices – this is not a Lakers-exclusive situation.
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