It has been an extremely exciting and eventful start to free agency for the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Blazers grabbed headlines this week by trading for star guard Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies, but they weren’t done there.
Portland Trail Blazers Sign Branden Carlson to One-Year, $2.5 Million Deal In Free Agency
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, center Branden Branden Carlson has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal to sign with the Trail Blazers in free agency.
Carlson will provide some added depth at the center spot for Portland, a position that already includes Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams, who recently agreed to a a three-year, $44 million extension with the Blazers.
Carlson spent the past two seasons as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder organization after going undrafted in 2024, and he won an NBA title with the Thunder in 2025. He played sparingly during his two seasons in Oklahoma City, however.
He appeared in just 32 games as a rookie and 42 games last season. In those 42 games, he averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per performance.
How Addition of Branden Carlson Could Impact Portland’s Pursuit of Jaylen Brown
Portland’s interest in Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown is well-documented at this point, and Jeremy Brener of Sports Illustrated explained how the addition of Carlson could impact Portland’s pursuit of Brown.
“Portland has been a top landing spot for Brown in the trade sweepstakes, but the compensation of the deal has been iffy. The Celtics should be interested in Clingan as they have wanted to improve their frontcourt. Clingan, a New England native, might be the player the Celtics truly covet. Adding Carlson will give the Blazers an extra center to rely on in case they were to trade Clingan,” Brener wrote.
“The Blazers are likely hesitant to trade Clingan to begin with, but this gives them some insurance to work with.”
Depth is never a bad thing, and the Blazers have a good amount of it at the center spot now. Perhaps the addition of Carlson will make them more willing to part with Clingan, like Brener suggests. The Blazers have been busy, and it certainly doesn’t feel like they’re done making moves.
Portland Trail Blazers Bolster Frontcourt with NBA Champion in Free Agency