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The Trail Blazers are continuing to prioritize frontcourt depth on the first day of free agency. Hours after they signed Robert Williams III to a three-year, $44 million extension, Portland agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million minimum contract with third-year big man Branden Carlson, a league source confirmed. ESPN first reported the agreement.
The 27-year-old Carlson played five seasons in college at Utah and has spent the last two seasons on a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played mostly in the G League in 2024-25 but appeared in 42 games for the Thunder last season, averaging 11.6 minutes per game.
Carlson shot 36 percent from three-point range last season on two attempts per game in those limited minutes. He should slot into the role Duop Reath played for the Blazers over the past three seasons, as a third big who likely isn't an every-night player but provides a different look from Williams and Donovan Clingan as a pick-and-pop threat.
The addition of Carlson is also an indication that the Blazers are continuing to slow-play the development of Yang Hansen, who spent most of last season in the G League after Portland surprised the entire NBA by picking him in the first round last June. Yang is set to play for the Chinese national team this week in their FIBA World Cup qualifying games, and then will join the Blazers in Las Vegas, where he is expected to play in at least their first Summer League games.
Portland now has 13 players under contract for next season, plus two of their three two-ways filled, and a little over $10 million in room under the luxury tax.
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