OKC Thunder: Thomas Sorber Injury Opens Door for Branden Carlson Next Season

Now, with Sorber set to be out all of next season, the Thunder’s center spot gets a bit more interesting. While the double-big lineup with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein is likely here to stay, and those two will naturally eat up most of the minutes inside, there is a definite impact on what the bench might look like down low.

Sorber was expected to come in and provide Oklahoma City with some meaningful minutes throughout the regular season. While there wasn’t necessarily any expectation for him to be a playoff contributor as a rookie, there was always a chance that he could slot into the third big role ahead of Jaylin Williams at some point.

Instead, Williams will be in that third-string center role throughout next season, leaving Branden Carlson as Oklahoma City’s fourth big man on the roster. After the Thunder picked Sorber, Carlson appeared to be a clear odd man out, even with a two-way deal for next year.

Considering the Thunder’s injuries inside last season, it makes sense that Sam Presti would be interested in as much depth as possible in that area. With Sorber down and Williams as the potential lone big off the bench if Mark Daigneault continues to favor the Holmgren-Hartenstein pairing in the starting five, Carlson might be a clear beneficiary of the Sorber injury.

While Carlson obviously wasn’t wishing for an injury to get a better opportunity, they are simply a part of sports. Considering Oklahoma City’s original plan with Sorber and how the team clearly liked what it saw in Carlson to bring him back, there could easily be an opening for him on the standard 15-man roster at some point, gifting him playoff eligibility.

Last season, Carlson mostly played garbage time or in games that didn’t have much impact on the standings, but he showed some potential to be a legitimate contributor in his small stints in meaningful minutes. Although his 17.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per 36 minutes aren’t all that helpful, his 3.1 blocks per 36 at least paint a picture of what he can provide inside.

To get Carlson on the standard roster, the Thunder would have to open a roster spot, likely Ousmane Dieng’s. Of course, if Oklahoma City deals with any injuries at center again this season, it might be a much easier decision for Presti to make after Sorber’s injury.