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Thunder Center Lands Two-Way Contract After Big Season

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Paul Daniel Flores | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 3:10 PM ET

Coming off a promising 2024-25 campaign, the Oklahoma City Thunder are once again doubling down on two-way deals. As they prepare for a championship run, it seems that working on their reserves is still a thing. Branden Carlson has earned a two-way contract as OKC looks forward to seeing more performances from the center.

While he doesn’t always get minutes, Carlson being on the Thunder roster next year is a big thing. It opens up a lot of opportunities for the center as he seeks to prove his worth. With Thomas Sorber also sitting out the season with a torn ACL, it seems to be the right move now more than ever.

Thunder Center Lands Two-Way Contract After Big Season

Getting another chance to play for the champions is no small feat. All NBA players have to work for their deals, and Branden Carlson is no exception. After all, he is yet to sign a standard contract. That means he’s got to earn his way into OKC’s rotation as they defend their NBA title.

Signing Carlson is the Right Move for OKC

So what makes Carlson’s contract a good move? For starters, it doesn’t really cramp the OKC rotation so far. It also doesn’t cost them a lot of money, and they are certainly getting more action from him. Carlson played a total of 32 games with the Thunder last season. Most of it came as he was the only center in OKC’s rotation when Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylin Williams were out with injuries.

In that span, the center averaged 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.7 minutes of action per game. As an undrafted rookie, there’s definitely a lot of hope for him. He had some sparks of potential in key games for Oklahoma City. Perhaps the most notable was when he scored 11 points and 4 rebounds in a dominant win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. At the time, it was a hyped game with the two top seeds going head-to-head. Carlson drilled three three-pointers in that win during a run that led to the blowout.

Branden Carlson tonight

11 PTS
4-8 FG
3-5 3PT
4 REB
1 BLK
17 minutes

Carlson is on a 10 day contract. pic.twitter.com/3pO4hfxrPQ

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) January 17, 2025

He also had a breakout game in the regular season finale. Carlson stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks in a massive win against the New Orleans Pelicans. You can appreciate this kind of performance from a big man with OKC mostly sending out reserves at that time.

USA Today Sports

G-League Stint with Blue Has Shaped Carlson Well

Branden Carlson’s deal will have him share time between the Thunder and their G League affiliate. He started 10 games with the Oklahoma City Blue. It was there where his potential was starting to take shape, as he averaged 17.4 points on 48.8% shooting, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.5 blocks in 28.2 minutes of action. That’s hard to ignore when he’s also having big games in the NBA.

Sam Presti on the Thunder bigs depth after losing Thomas Sorber for the season:

"We don't talk enough about Branden Carlson…

I think he's got a bright future."

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) September 25, 2025

What’s more important here is that Carlson is immersed in the Thunder culture. This makes him a likely candidate for the final guaranteed spot that OKC can add over fellow two-way player Brooks Barnhizer. The latter made waves in the NBA Summer League, but so did Carlson, which is a great talking point as well. The center being an emerging figure in OKC’s rotation is a good note, and we can potentially see him improve in the coming season.

What to Expect with Branden Carlson’s Deal

A two-way contract is a chance to prove a player’s worth. For Carlson, it is a chance to stay relevant in the league. The better he plays, the more wonders it will do for his career. He already has a ring with the Thunder to begin with, but Carlson has to work for his regular spot with the champions. After all, a championship team must sharpen all of its tools. It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation in OKC, and Carlson needs to stay on that pace, too.

If anything, Carlson has to make the most of this chance. Sorber redshirting his first year is a blessing in disguise for him (the same goes for another Thunder rookie in Nikola Topic). Carlson will need to squeeze his way into relevance with bigger games if he wants to stay in Oklahoma City. Every player has to earn their place on a team, let alone in a championship squad. That is a reality that Carlson needs to embrace. Now more than ever, this is his time to shine.

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

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