The Toronto Raptors have officially signed center Branden Carlson to a two-way contract, the team announced on July 4.
The financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.
The Raptors picked up Carlson following the 2024 NBA Draft. He will take one of the team’s three two-way spots for this upcoming season, joining DJ Carton. The final spot is expected to go to the Raptors No. 57 pick Ulrich Chomche. However, the deal has yet to be announced.
Carlson played five seasons at Utah, where he averaged 12.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 146 career games
He shot 51.3 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three-point range. He should be able to provide much needed floor-spacing for the team.
Carlson earned All-Pac 12 First Team honours in back-to-back seasons and left the Utes as the school’s all-time leader in blocks (241) and games played (146).
The Raptors have been in search of a third center, after Christian Koloko suffered a career-threatening blood clot and Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA due to a betting scandal.
Carlson will provide the Raptors with frontcourt depth behind Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk.
The 7-foot center is an older prospect at 25-years-old so he shouldn’t need as much time in the G League as Ulrich Chomche next season. He’ll likely swing between Raptors 905 and the Raptors next year, as he will fill in whenever Toronto deals with a frontcourt injury.
Carlson was named a top-10 finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which is given annually to the top centre in men’s Division l college basketball.
Lakers not willing to send first-round pick for Bruce Brown
The Toronto Raptors picked up Brown’s $23 million team option and are once again putting him out on the trade market. But, it remains to be seen who will be willing to acquire his services.
With free agency beginning to die down, trades will become the most prevalent way for teams to improve.
Notably, the Los Angeles Lakers were a suitor for Brown last season. Yet, they are not willing to include a first-round pick for him in recent conversations, according to Anthony Irwin of Lakers Daily.
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