NBA legend praises former Utah basketball star for Summer League performance

'I haven't seen anything he can't do'

Oklahoma City Thunder center Branden Carlson (15) scored 23 points and made four 3-pointers in OKC's win over the Orlando Magic in the 2025 NBA Summer League | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

NBA legend Isiah Thomas couldn't fathom how former Utah men's basketball star Branden Carlson went undrafted during Tuesday's NBA Summer League matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic.

Carlson, who signed a two-way contract with the Thunder earlier this month, showcased the range and defensive versatility that made him a three-time all-conference player in college to help guide OKC to a 92-75 victory over the Magic from the Thomas & Mack Center.

Throughout Carlson's 23-point performance, in which he knocked down four 3-pointers, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots in the process, the Hall-of-Fame point guard and Detroit Pistons icon ranted and questioned how all 30 teams passed on Carlson in the 2024 NBA Draft.

"The talent evaluators should be ashamed of themselves for not seeing Carlson," Thomas said early in the fourth quarter.

"I don't even know what to say no more," Thomas said as Carlson drilled a 25-footer from the top of the arc. "I just want to know [from] the 30 teams that were looking at him — what didn't they like?"

While ESPN's broadcast crew debated whether it was age or size that led to Carlson being overlooked out of college, the South Jordan, Utah, native continued to be a thorn in the Pistons' side on multiple accounts, snatching boards and protecting the paint while shooting an efficient 9-of-13 from the floor and committing just one turnover in just 19 minutes of action.

Carlson was on OKC's Summer League roster for its three games in the Salt Lake City Summer League, though Tuesday was his first time seeing the floor with his Thunder teammates. Safe to say, he left quite the first impression on Thomas.

"I just want to know what the evaluators, when they were evaluating him, were saying, 'Well, he can't do this,' Thomas said of Carlson. "Because I haven't seen anything he can't do."

"There are a lot of NBA evaluators and scouts who don't know what the hell they're looking at, and that's the fact. We know there's no way that a kid like this shouldn't have been drafted."

Carlson, a product of Bingham High School (Utah), earned All-Pac-12 honors three times during his five-year career with the Runnin' Utes. His 241 career blocks ranked No. 5 all-time in Pac-12 history. He averaged 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists for his college career.

After going undrafted in 2024, Carlson inked a two-way deal with the Toronto Raptors.

Carlson appeared in 32 regular season games with the Thunder during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per contest. He put up nearly 19 points and over 9 rebounds per game with the Oklahoma City Blue squad.

Carlson showcased his versatility to its fullest extent during OKC's regular-season finale, totaling 26 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.