Carlson (back) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Celtics.
Carlson has been ruled out for a seventh straight game due to a back strain. With Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) also out, look for Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams to aid Chet Holmgren at the center position. Carlson's next chance to play will come Sunday against Minnesota.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Out for Saturday
Rotowire
Carlson (back) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Warriors.
This will be the fifth consecutive game on the inactive list for Carlson, and it's not encouraging that he continues to get ruled out a full day in advance of tipoff. For now, he should be viewed as doubtful for Monday's game against the Nuggets.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Sitting out again
Rotowire
Carlson (back) remains out for Wednesday's game against the Knicks.
Oklahoma City's third-string center will be sidelined for a fourth straight game. His next chance to play comes Saturday against Golden State.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Out for Sunday
Rotowire
Carlson has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Mavericks due to a lower-back strain.
Carlson will miss a second consecutive contest after exiting Wednesday's loss to the Pistons due to lower-back soreness. The second-year center has struggled with back issues of late, as he also missed the final game before the All-Star break due to back spasms. His absence shouldn't cause any waves in the rotation.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Remaining sidelined
Rotowire
Carlson (back) is out for Friday's game against the Nuggets, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Carlson exited Wednesday's game against Detroit due to low back soreness, and the issue is significant enough to keep him from taking the floor Friday. His next opportunity to play will arrive Sunday in Dallas.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Off injury report
Rotowire
Carlson (back) isn't listed on the injury report for Friday's game against the Nets.
Carlson missed Oklahoma City's final game before the All-Star break due to lower-back spasms but is set to return Friday. The two-way player has appeared in just one game this month and isn't guaranteed to see the floor Friday.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Out of starting lineup
Rotowire
Carlson is not in the Thunder's starting lineup against the Heat on Sunday, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.
Carlson drew the start Friday against the Grizzlies and finished with five points, one rebound, one block and one steal over 16 minutes in a 117-116 victory. He will revert to a bench role Sunday after Chet Holmgren (shin) was cleared to return.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: First double-double of season
Rotowire
Carlson ended with 15 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench during Friday's 131-94 victory over the Warriors.
The Thunder gave their starters the fourth quarter off in the rout, allowing Carlson and other members of the second unit to get extra run. The 26-year-old center cashed in the opportunity and produced his first double-double of the season. Carlson has seen at least 20 minutes of court time in five of OKC's last 13 games, all in contests the defending champs won by 16 or more points, and in those appearances he's averaging 12.0 points, 6.6 boards, 2.0 threes and 1.6 assists.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Sliding to second unit
Rotowire
Carlson won't start against the Spurs on Tuesday, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
With the Thunder's regular starting five back at full strength, Carlson will move back to the second unit. While he could see the floor due to Jaylin Williams (heel) remaining sidelined, Carlson is not guaranteed significant playing time.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Scores double digits in win
Rotowire
Carlson ended with 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt), five rebounds and one assist in 20 minutes during Sunday's 137-106 victory over New Orleans.
Sunday marked Carlson's fourth time reaching double digits in scoring in his career, and the reason for his extended playing time was due to Chet Holmgren (back) being ruled out and Ousmane Dieng (calf) leaving the game early. If these respective injuries persist for Holmgren and Dieng, Carlson may find himself in a role as the backup big man to Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Nears double-double in win
Rotowire
Carlson (calf) contributed 17 points (4-8 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-8 FT) and nine rebounds across 24 minutes in Tuesday's 116-112 preseason win over the Bucks.
Carlson returned from a three-game absence and led the Thunder's second unit in scoring against Milwaukee. The big man also finished as the team's second-leading rebounder. Carlson is on a two-way contract and is likely to spend most of his time with the G League's Oklahoma City Blue in the 2025-26 campaign.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Won't play Saturday
Rotowire
Carlson (calf) didn't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Pacers.
Carlson continues to nurse a calf injury, which has kept him sidelined during the preseason. The next opportunity for him to suit up will be Tuesday against the Bucks.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Held out Thursday
Rotowire
Carlson (calf) didn't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Hornets.
Carlson has now missed back-to-back preseason matchups while tending to a right calf issue. His next chance to take the court will come Saturday against the Pacers.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Scores 12 in SL loss
Rotowire
Carlson closed with 12 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds and two assists across 24 minutes in Saturday's 109-80 Summer League loss to the Hornets.
Carlson delivered a solid showing Thursday despite his team shooting just 31.8 percent from the field. He logged significant minutes throughout Summer League and re-signed with the Thunder on a two-way contract July 8.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Pours in 23 points in SL win
Rotowire
Carlson racked up 23 points (9-13 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds and two blocks across 28 minutes in Tuesday's 92-75 Summer League win over the Magic.
Carlson made his Las Vegas Summer League debut Tuesday, finishing as the team's second-leading scorer. The big man tied the game-high mark in three-pointers while matching the team lead in rebounds. He was also the only player on the Thunder to record multiple blocks.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Inks new two-way deal with OKC
Rotowire
The Thunder re-signed Carlson on a two-way contract Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Carlson is set to remain with the Thunder on another two-way deal after originally signing the same pact with the team in February 2025. The center split time between the NBA and G League last season, appearing in 32 NBA games and averaging 3.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks on 44.3 percent shooting in 7.7 minutes per contest. His best performance came April 13 against the Pelicans, when he tallied 26 points and 10 rebounds.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Career performance in win
Rotowire
Carlson posted 26 points (10-19 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 38 minutes during Sunday's 115-100 win over the Pelicans.
Carlson saw a significant role Sunday due to the team holding many rotational players out for the season finale and Jaylin Williams (ankle) going down with injury. In an expanded role, Carlson matched his career high in blocks while setting career-best marks in points and rebounds and logging his first double-double. Despite the impressive performance, Carlson will likely return to a minimal role as the team turns to postseason play.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Barely features in win
Rotowire
Carlson amassed zero points (0-2 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and one assist over two minutes during Tuesday's 136-120 victory over the Lakers.
Carlson was added to the rotation during garbage time, a trend that is all too familiar this season. He has appeared in nine of the past 11 games, with seven of those appearances coming in the dying moments. In 29 games this season, he has averaged 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per contest.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Gets another 10-day deal
Rotowire
Carlson re-signed Wednesday with the Thunder on a second 10-day contract, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Carlson was previously waived off the 15-man roster Jan. 7 in anticipation of two-way player Ajay Mitchell being upgraded to a standard contract. Still, that plan was put on hold after Mitchell suffered a turf toe sprain that will keep him sidelined for multiple months. Once Carlson cleared waivers, the Thunder quickly brought him back on a 10-day deal to fill the open roster spot. After re-signing to another 10-day pact, Carlson will be in the fold through Jan. 31 before Oklahoma City would have to either sign him to a rest-of-season deal or let him walk. Carlson has appeared in 13 games for the Thunder thus far, averaging 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per contest.
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Thunder's Branden Carlson: Headed back to parent club
Rotowire
The Thunder recalled Carlson from the G League's Oklahoma City Blue on Saturday.
Carlson joined the Blue for Saturday's 131-110 loss to the Valley Suns and recorded a team-high 23 points (10-18 FG, 3-8 3Pt) to go with 17 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block across 30 minutes. The 25-year-old big man has appeared in only seven games for the Thunder this season, averaging 0.6 points across 3.6 minutes per game.
