Knicks Have Another Blazers Center They Should Keep a Close Eye On

With a few teams turning the Knicks away on the center front, New York now needs to identify which other franchises could offer a potential big-man solution. In recent weeks, the Blazers have emerged as a possible helper on that front, as they seem to be lukewarm on new arrival Micah Potter.

Potter is a cut candidate given his non-guaranteed contract, which could spring the Knicks into action if he's released this preseason. But even if Potter is let go, Portland will still have a glut of bigs that could make someone else expendable down the line.

And looking at the current names in PDX, Branden Carlson stands out as a realistic center New York could pursue in the near future.

Branden Carlson is a sneakily great Knicks trade target later this season

Carlson comes over from the Thunder, signing a meager one-year, $2.45 million deal with the Blazers at the start of free agency. Given his change of scenery, he's not eligible to be traded until Dec. 15. But that timeline could work incredibly well for the Knicks, who'd have a few months to assess their center situation and determine if an upgrade is needed as they enter 2027.

Carlson perfectly fits the mold of the young bigs with upside New York has sought out at every turn this offseason. As a rookie, he posted 3.8 ppg and 1.7 rpg in just 7.7 mpg. His numbers (5.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg) only improved with a tad more playing time (11.6 mpg) last season.

Notably, his efforts in 2025-26 earned him a per-36-minute projection of 17.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg, plus 2.0 blocks per contest, hinting at a truly exciting talent who could thrive with a larger opportunity.

Hey #Ripcity, get to know your new Center Branden Carlson 👀

He's very mobile, has a smooth shot, and good offensive awareness. pic.twitter.com/AsdwYqw9fU
— SleeperTrailBlazers (@SleeperBlazers) July 1, 2026

Unfortunately, he won't get that opportunity in Portland.

The Blazers not only have beloved young big Donovan Clingan down low, but also re-signed Robert Williams III to a three-year deal with $43.5 million guaranteed, so the latter is going to get his fair share of playing time as well. That's not even to mention No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 draft Yang Hansen, who needs minutes to develop and be worth the investment.

With Carlson receiving little salary and just one year on his deal, there's zero incentive for Portland to roll out the red carpet for him. The fact that they didn't commit more to him makes it clear his job security is minuscule, and thus sets up an early breakup, especially in case the Blazers would like something in return for him before risking losing him for nothing as a restricted free agent next summer.

Assuming that does become the case, the Knicks are set up especially well to make both Carlson and Portland happy. For the young big, he could join New York as its clear third center for a playoff push and have a pathway to minutes in big moments. There'd be a possible future for him in the Big Apple as well, since Andre Drummond is far from a lock to stick around past this season.

Meanwhile, the Blazers could offload a player who's a bit of a less clean fit while getting assets back in return. Leon Rose paid a very fair price for Jose Alvarado at last deadline, coughing up two second-rounders for a player who could've been only a rental for a few months. Rose has plenty of draft ammo in his treasure chest again after this summer, which Portland could put to use near the deadline as it seeks a return to the playoffs.

There's also a world where the Blazers might be willing to take on Pacôme Dadiet or Jordan Clarkson in exchange for Carlson, due to Shaedon Sharpe's meniscus injury, which will sideline him for much of the year. Either Dadiet or Clarkson offers wing help, and having the option between a more developmental talent or a proven vet for an immediate boost could assist New York in talks.

It's always possible the Knicks end up swinging a trade or making a signing amid cuts, in the coming weeks that eliminates the currently glaring need for a third center—and Carlson is more of a future theoretical than anything else, since a lot has to go right between now and mid-December to set up any kind of deal.

But there's no denying the circumstances could be there, especially if New York opts for a less premium third-string big to start the year, as that might hint at waiting to make a bigger move in the middle of the season. This makes Carlson's standing in Portland one to watch throughout the coming months.

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