theathleticuk
The Detroit Pistons have agreed to trade two second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for shooting guard Isaiah Joe, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Friday.
Joe, who turns 27 years old on July 2, is a career 40.6 percent shooter from 3-point range on 4.8 attempts per game.
He is coming off his best season in the NBA, averaging 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.1 minutes per game while shooting 42.3 percent on 3s.
He has two years and about $23 million remaining on his contract, which the Thunder were able to offload to lighten their luxury-tax bill and consolidate a glut of guards.
Advertisement While Joe has never averaged more than 22 minutes per game, hell step in as arguably the Pistons best long-range shooter depending on who returns and who Detroit continues to add.
He could blossom into a much more important role coming off Detroits bench.
The Arkansas native is also an accurate shooter on 2-point jumpers; he hit 53 percent of his midrange shots last season, which ranked in the 91st percentile for players at his position.
Joes arrival could eat into the minutes that Caris LeVert or Marcus Sasser logged off the bench last season.
Detroit also traded up to the No.
17 pick in the draft to select guard Ebuka Okorie, who could also carve out a role in his rookie season.
The Pistons have multiple means with which to acquire Joe and can figure out which one after they are done wheeling and dealing.
One possibility is that Joes $11.3 million salary will will slot into the trade exception Detroit generated by sending Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Thunder, meanwhile, are now $18.6 million over the second apron with 15 contracts for next season.
They could end up just under that line if they trade Lu Dort or decline his option, and rework Isaiah Hartensteins deal by declining his option and lowering his 2026-27 salary.