Cavs Notes: Meleek Thomas, Donovan Mitchell, LeBron James

The Cavaliers won’t be crowning anyone because of Summer League. After all, every July, somebody looks like a future All-Star before reality shows up in October.

That said, it’s hard not to like what Meleek Thomas put on tape in Las Vegas.

Thomas closed Summer League with 24 points in the Cavs’ 100-91 win over Chicago, finishing an encouraging week in which he consistently looked comfortable creating his own offense.

Jackson Flickinger of Fear The Sword pointed out that Thomas’ ability to create space off the dribble and score without forcing the issue has stood out from the start.

The bigger question was never going to be whether Thomas could score. It was whether he’d look like a natural scorer against NBA-caliber athletes. For four games, the answer was yes.

There’s still plenty for him to polish. He’ll have to become a better playmaker and adjust to playing without the ball much more often than he did in college.

But if you’re looking for one rookie who gave Cavs fans legitimate reason for optimism this month, Thomas probably tops the list.

The Cavs also finished Summer League on a high note, winning three straight games after an uneven start.

Fans support Mitchell move

Spend enough time on social media and you’d think half of Northeast Ohio wanted the Cavs to let Donovan Mitchell walk. Reality appears a little different.

Fear The Sword’s latest SB Nation Reacts poll found that more than two-thirds of participating Cavs fans supported the team’s decision to sign Mitchell to a four-year, $270 million extension.

Tony Pesta acknowledged fans’ frustrations after last season’s playoff exit, but argued the organization simply couldn’t afford to play hardball with one of the NBA’s elite guards.

Honestly, none of this should come as a surprise. Did Mitchell have a disappointing finish to the playoffs? Sure. Would everyone prefer he cost about $15 million less per year? Absolutely.

But that’s not how superstar contracts work.

If the Cavs had allowed Mitchell to get away, we’d probably be spending the next five years asking why they let one of the best players in franchise history leave town.

Another case for LeBron

We’ve heard every LeBron argument imaginable by now.

He’s too old. He doesn’t fit. Or yes, he’s exactly what the Cavs need.

Nick Pedone of Cavs on SI offered another one this week, and what stood out wasn’t necessarily the basketball side of it. It was the leadership side.

Pedone’s argument is that the Cavaliers don’t need 2014 LeBron. Nobody is getting that version anymore. What they could use is someone who has been through every playoff battle imaginable and knows exactly what it takes to win four rounds in June. That’s at least worth considering.

Mitchell is a star. Evan Mobley can still be on the rise. James Harden, despite all the criticism that followed the playoff exit, is still a future Hall of Famer. Jarrett Allen remains one of the league’s steadiest centers.

But championship teams usually have someone who immediately establishes the standard the moment he walks into the gym. LeBron has been that guy for two decades.

Now, does that mean he’ll wind up back in Cleveland? Nobody knows. Except, of course, for probably LeBron.