Shortly after the 2026 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons traded a pair of future second-round draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for sharp-shooting off-ball guard Isaiah Joe
As far as low-cost, high-reward deals go during the offseason, the Detroit Pistons made one of the better summertime trades by bringing in Isaiah Joe for just a pair of future second-round picks.
After four years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Joe has solidified his reputation as one of the premiere marksmen in the NBA with a 40.6% career three-point percentage, so his presence in the Motor City should help lift the team’s scoring from downtown. Joe was an important piece of the Thunder’s rotation last year, logged over 20 minutes per game and worked himself into a particular rhythm during February when he was picking up the slack for a contingent of injured teammates.
During that mid-season heater, Joe rattled off four separate games with at least five triples to his credit, but there was one cross-conference battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers that truly showed Joe’s two-way value. Against the Cavs on Feb. 22, Joe put up 22 points (6-for-11 from deep), two rebounds, three assists and five steals during the Thunder’s 121-113 victory at home. OKC was able to jump out to a 20–point first quarter lead thanks in part to Joe’s three-and-D impact from the very onset of the contest.
Although Joe is primarily hailed for his consistency in knocking down long-range jumpers, the sixth-year pro was a thorn in the Cavs’ side from a defensive perspective for the post-All-Star break matchup with five steals that came in quick succession.
”A lot of times it started with helping off on their main guys and just trying to fill into the gaps and see what we can do from there,” Joe said of his five-steal night. “I think I was fortunate to get all those steals in the first five minutes and then I didn’t get another one for the rest of the game, but it was about activity and just trying to create havoc in any way that I can.”
Since playing defense is a non-negotiable in Detroit, the Pistons are going to heavily encourage that type of activity from Joe throughout the 2026-27 campaign since they already know that he can shoot the ball. Harkening back to that 22-point outing against the Cavs, Joe scored 20 or more points on five different occasions in the month of February as he took advantage of extra minutes with several OKC players on the mend.
”I think this might be one of my most consistent streaks that I’ve had,” Joe said. “It all comes back to just the style of play that we have, the way we’re sharing the ball and everybody kind of has a rhythm right now. But yeah, this might be one of the top.”
Entering the season, it looks like Joe is primarily going to be competing with Duncan Robinson for shooting guard minutes right off the bat. Both players have extensive long-range credentials and can connect on threes from the corner, the wing or squared up, and there’s a realistic chance that they’ll play next to each other for various patches of time during the season to give Detroit some legitimate perimeter gravity.
Behind Robinson and Joe, there could be a logjam of quality players competing for minutes such as Gary Harris, Daniss Jenkins, Kevin Huerter or Elijah Harkless, so the Detroit backcourt should have a wide variety of options entering training camp later this month.
