Branden Carlson

Branden Carlson's rise is the undrafted underdog story done right. A seven-foot stretch center out of Utah, where he set the school's all-time blocks record and made two All-Pac-12 teams, he went unpicked in 2024, then talked his way into an NBA opportunity when Oklahoma City's centers went down injured. He stuck. A rim protector with an expanding three-point stroke, he fits the modern five mold: switchable enough to defend in space, skilled enough to punish drop coverage from the perimeter. As a rookie he earned a ring when the Thunder won the 2025 title, though as a two-way player he was not playoff-eligible. He returned to OKC for 2025-26 and posted a career-high 26 points against Phoenix in April. In July 2026 he cashed in, signing a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers to chase a real rotation role.