When it comes to the frontcourt rotation for the OKC Thunder, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein are the players who seem to receive the lion's share of attention and admiration from fans and pundits.
However, hiding in their shadows is easily one of the biggest bargain talents in the entire league -- Branden Carlson.
Attached to a two-way contract, the big man has played well beyond his mere G League means when given an opportunity with Oklahoma City's varsity squad.
Following his most recent performance on Wednesday night, Holmgren couldn't help but shout the sophomore out, specifically highlighting the truth that every Thunder fan should know by now: “He’s an NBA player."
"He’s earned the position to be out there and get real minutes out there. He’s a heck of a player," Holmgren said.
Thunder big Branden Carlson is an NBA talent attached to a two-way deal
The beauty of this Thunder team is that they have one of the deepest talent pools the game has ever seen. Such a luxury is why they execute the "next man up" approach to a tee, even while dealing with widespread injuries.
Their latest bout against the Utah Jazz served as a prime example of this ability, as coach Mark Daigneault called upon Carlson to log double-digit minutes for the team in the wake of Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams' ongoing injury-induced absences.
What resulted was yet another showing of his solid rebounding and defensive efforts, as he wrapped up his 11 minutes of play with three points, five boards, and two blocks.
This outing was merely just a reminder of how productive the 26-year-old can be when receiving 10-plus minutes of action, for, throughout his short career in the association, Carlson finds himself boasting impressive averages of 8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks on 50.7 percent shooting from the floor when receiving such an amount of playing time.
When the Thunder initially re-signed him to a brand new two-way contract this past summer, the belief among many was that they landed a true steal of a deal. Such a belief was only amplified following a sensational Summer League stint.
Now, 38 games into 2025-26, it's only grown more and more apparent that Carlson is one of the best bargains in the game today, and, if this wasn't already known by the casuals out there, then perhaps the recent praise from his budding star teammate in Holmgren might finally hammer such a sentiment home.