The new NBA season begins in about a month, with defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder continuing to improve their roster.
Thunder has made minimal additions besides drafting Thomas Solver, who unfortunately misses the entire season due to an ACL injury.
Their main moves included an extension of Superstars Chet Holmgren and Jaylen Williams along with the current MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The front office appears to be happy with the championship roster ongoing.
And recently, Thunder re-signed center Branden Carlson to a two-way deal.
Thomas believes Carlson deserves more attention from NBA talent raters based on his recent performance.
“Talent evaluators should be ashamed of themselves for not meeting Carlson,” Thomas said.
“I don’t even know what more I’m saying. I just want to know the 30 teams that were watching him. What do they like?”
Thomas’ criticism stems from Carlson’s impressive summer league show, particularly his 23-point performance with four three-pointers in his victory over Oklahoma City’s Orlando Magic.
The 26-year-old center demonstrated the versatility and shooting ability that Thomas believes to ensure broader NBA recognition.
Last season, Carlson appeared in 32 games for Thunder, averaging 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per 1.7 games averaging 7.7 minutes.
The re-signment indicates that their big man rotation needs to be addressed after Solver’s injuries.
Rather than pursuing external options, they chose to maintain players who were already familiar with their systems and culture.
Carlson’s familiarity with Oklahoma City plans and his demonstrated ability to contribute when he is asked to make him a logical choice for the two-way contract slot.
His summer performance suggests potential for expanding contributions, and if he continues to improve his 3-point ability, he may get more minutes than next season.