The Oklahoma City Thunder still rides high after winning the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers last month.
The Thunder were the best team in the league throughout the regular season, only solidifying their status during the playoffs.
So far, the offseason has been very well underway, with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren signing a new long-term deal.
Many Thunder fans may not be paying attention to the summer league, but they have a lot to say about Branden Carlson.
Carlson is already familiar to OKC Thunder fans as he played 32 regular season games between 2024-25.
He averaged four points and two rebounds within eight minutes per game, but he had little opportunity to show his true potential.
Well, that was the purpose of the summer league, and Carlson made the most of it. He scored 23 points, including four three-pointers, in a 92-75 victory over the Orlando Magic.
“He’s actually very nice. Every time I touched the floor, I was impressed,” a lightning fan commented to X.
“We need guys this year to get real playing time. I don’t know how, but we need it,” writes another. “He’s going to be a big part of our future,” one person added.
OKC supporters said, “It took less than two minutes for Branden Carlson to drain the first three games. That quick release looks better than ever.”
“Welcome, Branden Carlson,” he said. “He delved into the three-pointer and sank the free throw after that despite being a foul.”
Another tweet read: “They shot three feet, caught Rob, and the block shot was the rare NBA archetype, and Branden Carlson was there for two years without guaranteeing an NBA contract.”
Branden Carlson’s biggest problem is trying to crack the rotation of the defending NBA champions next season.
The Thunder hasn’t lost this offseason either, so head coach Mark Deanoo is probably aiming to “recover it back.”
But the good news for Carlson is that OKC is actually just Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hertenstein, and is very light in the Big Man category.
And the pair often play side by side, opening five minutes of backups for Carlson, especially in the regular season.