Branden Carlson Making Solid Case for OKC Thunder's Final Roster Spot

Oklahoma City doesn’t have many decisions to make this season, but its most pressing should be an easy one.

Through 16 games, the Thunder have clearly established themselves as the best team in the league. After last season’s championship run, the Thunder have only looked better, even with Jalen Williams being sidelined for the first month.

Considering just about everything looks good in Oklahoma City, the biggest decision remaining could be which two-way player to promote to a standard deal midseason. While each player has been given an opportunity this season, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Branden Carlson will be making that leap.

Considering Mark Daigneault has been thrust into a variety of double-big lineups this season, Carlson has typically taken advantage of the opportunities he’s been afforded. In three of the Thunder’s past four games, Carlson has tallied double-digit minutes and put up a pair of seven-point performances in Charlotte and New Orleans.

What sets Carlson apart is his skill set. As a stretch five who can also protect the rim, the Thunder have someone who can mimic some of Chet Holmgren’s most important abilities on a two-way deal. With the Thunder’s tradition of promoting two-way guys, such as Ajay Mitchell last season, there should be a good chance that Carlson gets the nod at some point this year.

Of course, the biggest obstacle keeping Carlson from taking that final spot now isn’t his competition among the other two-way guys, but instead the fact that the Thunder simply don’t have an open roster spot. With 12 players on standard contracts making or expected to make contributions this season and Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber sidelined with injuries, there’s an obvious player to cut or trade to make room for Carlson.

In his fourth season, Ousmane Dieng has continued to show almost no promise of being a contributor at the NBA level, particularly for a contending team like the Thunder. With Brooks Barnhizer and Chris Youngblood showing just as much, if not more, potential on the wing as two-way guys, Dieng’s departure seems like a guarantee this season.

Although it might seem a bit redundant to have so many big men on the roster, the Thunder know as well as anyone that having extra bodies at that position can’t hurt. Whether it be injuries or foul trouble, the Thunder would love to have a generally reliable stretch big man like Carlson available come playoff time.