Hogs' Thomas Finds Himself in Triangle with Two NBA Legends

Los Angeles Lakers reportedly trying to determine how Arkansas Razorbacks guard fits with Luka Doncic, Lebron James franchise futures

Meleek Thomas' NBA future appears to be heavily tied to an upcoming decision for Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James. Which, if not both, will play with Luka Doncic next season? | Marc Lybryk-Imagn Images

What do these three have in common? Find out soon. pic.twitter.com/5F09sttD0J

— all hogswps (@allhogsnow) April 2, 2026

When Meleek Thomas arrived on the Arkansas campus a few months ago as a budding 5-star with unlimited potential, even his wildest imaginations probably didn't put himself in a triangle with the likes of NBA superstars Luka Doncic and Lebron James.

Yet, here he is having his name thrown about as a possible key cog in a series of decisions that will determine the ultimate future of the Los Angeles Lakers.

While Thomas played his way through the SEC and NCAA Tournaments alongside projected lottery pick Darius Acuff, the Lakers put together one of the best months in franchise history. They went 15-2, making up for a blowout loss to Cleveland along the way, all while Doncic stunned the NBA by scoring 40+ three consecutive games to cap a month in which he scored 600 points.

Lost in what should be a fairytale story for Los Angeles is James. He has battled through injuries, some of them chronic, and is nearing the end of a season where he can retire or must make some sort of decision as a free agent, as do the Lakers since they own his Bird rights.

Best case scenario, James gets one more championship in L.A. and then either rides off into the sunset, makes one final journey home to Cleveland or tries to chase one last championship elsewhere at a much cheaper rate than what the Lakers have had to cough up at roughly $53 million per year.

In any scenario where James leaves town plays out, the odds of Thomas finding himself in Los Angeles goes up because the team wants to construct the roster around Doncic and there seems to be a building consensus Thomas fits that mold. However, if James stays, odds aren't bad either because the team will need to rely on the draft to fill out the roster at a cheaper rate and must do so to find someone who A) has a rounded game with the tools necessary to get on the court in Year 1, and B) fits the mold of someone who can play alongside Doncic in the future.

Chances are the franchise is about to close the chapter on the Lebron James era. He's won his titles, made his money and even got a chance to play in NBA games with his son.

"The King" has been appeased enough. Ever since Doncic dropped in the Lakers lap relatively for free from Western Conference rival Dallas, there has been a nervous itch to move on to a new era and capitalize on his time there.

That's why Los Angeles is looking for a well-rounded guard with star potential who can put up complementary stats while Doncic dominates the ball without getting his feathers ruffled. Then, when Doncic gets his annual mid-season injury, this player can step up with a significant jump in production to help fill the gap, all while being a player who can still be available in the mid to late 20's of the first round.

Thomas, with his Doncic-like hair trigger ability to hit from three with seemingly no space, has plenty of experience to fit that bill perfectly. He spent the season alongside Acuff, who put up 30 seemingly more often than not, especially down the final stretch of the seaon.

“Meleek Thomas got off to an excellent start in the NCAA tournament with his shotmaking and efficiency,” Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote in his NBA mock draft evaluation. “He’s played with confidence easy to see just by watching his shot diet and how decisive he looks rising up into jumpers.”

Still, Thomas managed to put up his nightly romp from the mid-teens to the early 20s while adding support through rebounding and playing solid defense. When he got his shot to go solo, he dropped 30 on Missouri, more than double what he put up against the same team playing second guard to Acuff a couple of weeks before.

Arkansas freshman G Meleek Thomas @ThomasMeleek has been officially credited w/1st-half FG vs. Mizzou on Sat that was originally given to Trevon Brazile, raising Thomas' scoring to career-high 30 points in road win over the Tigers (updated boxscore linked)https://t.co/A1AWgwQde1 pic.twitter.com/jIgzK0JXCE

— Kevin McPherson (@ARHoopScoop) March 9, 2026

What's more is Thomas knows when to play the No. 2 option and when to upgrade to 1B when alongside a superstar. Acuff went for 49 against Alabama, but lost in that game was Thomas going off from three early on, eventually finishing 6-of-8 from beyond the arc with 24 points as he dominated stretches to not only keep the Hogs in the game, but in the lead the majority of a 1- point double-overtime loss.

It's that ability to display a high level of production when the situation requires that will need to be seen throughout the NBA combine. Executives have already seen enough of Thomas' support side on tape.

“. . . There would be more interest in Thomas if he was able to showcase some playmaking," Wasserman said. "NBA teams could see late first-round value around his potential to provide instant offense, spot-up shooting and active defense off the bench.”

The only thing that might possibly get in the way of him being a prime target for the Lakers is Thomas' size (6-foot-5, 185) according to NBA Draft Room. However, it should be noted that observation was made earlier in the season.

Thomas has had a full season to add muscle. Plus, he is still a teenager.

Everyone knows young men don't really start to fill out until their 20s, so there is plenty of room for him to naturally add size without taking away from his on-court skills.

“A big time shot-maker with range on his jumper, Thomas has a silky smooth game and just knows how to put the ball in the bucket,”NBA Draft Room writes it its evaluation. “Has a quick first step and is tough to keep out of the lane. Doesn’t need a lot space to get his jumper. Has good, but not great size for the position. Will have to fill out his frame to guard at the NBA level. Competes at a high level and gives good effort on both ends. Competes at a high level and gives good effort on both ends.”

So, while it may not seem real to the Pittsburgh native at the moment, he will remain a strong part of the conversation regarding Doncic, James and the future direction of the Los Angeles Lakers. So long as he performs at least to his basic college level at the combine, that should remain the case as the Lebron James saga plays out in a few weeks.