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Oklahoma City sent out its long-time sharpshooter this offseason, and his production may be replaced by an overlooked shooter.
Over the past four seasons, its been nearly impossible to talk about the Thunders outside shooting without mentioning Isaiah Joe.
Shooting at least 40% from deep in each season with the Thunder, including a career-best 42.3% mark last season, Joes outside efficiency had been a key piece of the offense.
However, with dwindling postseason playing time and a reduced role becoming an annual trend, Oklahoma City opted to trade him to the Detroit Pistons for a couple of second-round picks.
Doing the same with Aaron Wiggins going to Atlanta, the Thunder are down a couple of offensive-minded role players.
Of course, Joes replacement has seemed quite obvious throughout the process after Jared McCains emergence in the playoffs.
Beyond McCain, who will be entering his third NBA season, the Thunder also drafted Bennett Stirtz in the first round, and some believe he could also take on some of the 3-point shooting load.
However, the Thunder may also have another player ready to take a major leap from outside and become a real sharpshooting threat.
Although hes much better known for his defense, Cason Wallace might be ready to show his offensive skillset in a major way next season.
Throughout his first three seasons, Wallaces 3-point shooting has declined each year, dropping from 41.9% as a rookie to 35.1% last season.
Yet, his 2026 postseason run should give Oklahoma City some hope that hes ready to become a legitimate option from beyond the arc.
Nailing 48.4% of threes on over four attempts per game in the playoffs, Wallace has already shown he can handle being a much-needed source of offense in high-pressure situations.
Given that Wallace is largely expected to enter the starting lineup permanently next season, he should also have extra opportunities to expand his shooting.
While Wallaces off-the-dribble approach hasnt developed in the way the Thunder had hoped, his 3-point shooting could be his claim to becoming one of the leagues elite two-way players.
With a clear need for outside shooting next season, Wallaces path to becoming a sharpshooter is certainly there.
While shooting off the move or nailing threes from a few feet behind the line like Joe probably wont be a consistent part of Wallaces attack, finding consistency from beyond the arc is all the Thunder are looking for from their young star defender.