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Branden Carlson Contract on Focus for OKC Amidst Sorber Injury

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Paul Daniel Flores | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 7:00 AM ET

With Thomas Sorber redshirting his first year in Oklahoma City, talks of a rotation overhaul are in place. While he is yet to suit up for the Thunder both in the Summer League and in the regular season, his absence matters a lot. That begins with Branden Carlson, a big man who has already won a championship with them. Carlson is currently on a two-way deal with OKC, but Thomas Sorber’s injury may change that in the coming season.

See, the 2025 NBA champions don’t have that much of a luxury when it comes to big men. They have Chet Holmgren as their main center—who recently signed an extension with the Thunder. Isaiah Hartenstein was a huge boost in the 2024 offseason, while Jaylin Williams remains a constant force for the team. Other than that, OKC doesn’t have much when it comes to big men on the roster.

Branden Carlson Contract on Focus for OKC Amidst Sorber Injury

The Thunder knew what they were doing when they brought in Sorber in the 2025 NBA Draft. Before his injury, he was seen as a steal by the champs for his impressive value. Now it seems the team will continue with the same big man rotation for now. While waiting for those adjustments, it seems that Carlson will be benefiting the most from this.

Branden Carlson’s Contract with OKC

Let’s face it, two-way players aren’t getting and rarely see teams upgrading their deals to standard contracts. Carlson is one of the most talented two-way players the Thunder have aboard this season. At the age of 26, the Thunder big man played his first season in OKC’s championship year. Carlson went on to average 3.8 points per game on 7.7 minutes of action in 32 games. What’s promising is that he’s a 33.3% shooter from three.

Carlson was signed by OKC to a two-way deal after Holmgren, Hartenstein, and Williams all experienced injuries last season. Of course, he was assigned multiple times to the OKC Blue, the Thunder’s G-League affiliate team. He was signing multiple 10-day contracts over the course of the 2024-25 season, each giving him a chance of proving his worth. On January 16th, Carlson was pivotal in the Thunder’s home blowout win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The big man was showing sparks of hope off the bench, posting 11 points and 4 rebounds, making 3 threes.

April 13, 2025:

Branden Carlson (@ballerbranden35) scores a career-high 26 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks in a win against the Pelicans pic.twitter.com/52xvhTqATL

— Thunder TV (@Thunder3peat) September 8, 2025

That would later reward him with a two-way deal with Oklahoma City, which he signed on February 6th. In his final regular-season game, Carlson was making the most of his minutes and crushing the New Orleans Pelicans, posting 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks. That’s a promising stat line for a young player who’s a fit in the Thunder’s core age.

Can Branden Carlson Make the Most of the 2025-26 Season?

Carlson is going to get a lot of playing time in the coming season. It’s worth noting that Sorber’s injury will allow him to play more minutes in the four or five spot. This should give him a better case over Brooks Barnhizer, who is also gunning for a standard deal with the Thunder. Carlson’s shooting needs to improve overall, and his massive length allows him to set a more prominent role on the floor.

This should put him on par with J-Will, who would be getting third-string minutes from the first two starting bigs. Carlson is keen on making improvements in his game, and it should help him earn his place in the squad. As a flexible big man who can both dominate the paint and shoot the ball from three, Carlson is definitely going to have a lot of fun in the coming season with more minutes.

Nikola Topić finds Branden Carlson up top for the alley-oop pic.twitter.com/DwGznaOll2

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 15, 2025

At best, Carlson’s contract situation should be a promising one this season, with a lot of expectations for him to grow and even become a permanent part of the OKC rotation. Carlson has a shot at landing a deal with one of the NBA’s top contenders in the years to come.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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