The Pistons, much like the Raptors, were going to be a key team to watch this offseason in regards to bolstering its depth around superstar Cade Cunningham.
They have a massive question on their hands when it comes to All-Star big man Jalen Duren, possible trade or sign-and-trade scenarios, and the ever so prominent league goal of adding proven vets and shooting threats.
A few days ago, we saw another Eastern Conference contemporary in the Atlanta Hawks acquire Thunder forward Aaron Wiggins in a modest deal that only sent out two second-round picks. And here we are again on the subject of OKC reshuffling their roster, as the Detroit Pistons were able to secure sniper guard Isaiah Joe in another trade that nets two second-rounders in return for the Thunder.
Isaiah Joe was a member of the Thunder roster for four seasons, joining them in the 2022-23 campaign after he was cut from the 76ers. In Oklahoma City, he quickly became a key rotation piece, as his stellar three-point shooting ability was on full display. Joe has averaged above 40 percent shooting from deep in all four of his seasons spent with the Thunder, where this past 2025-26 campaign, he shot a career-high 42.3 percent from three.
Now, Joe will take this stout shooting trademark over to Detroit, and at a fairly reasonable price.
Raptors missing out on Isaiah Joe is the Pistons' offseason gain
He signed a four-year, $48 million extension with Oklahoma City back in 2024, where he's owed an average annual salary of about $12 million. Now with that money freed up, along with the dumped Aaron Wiggins salary, it will give the Thunder some needed cap relief, while the Pistons snag a cheap, reliable shooter amid a growing pressure for various NBA teams to emphasize three-point depth.
And on that subject, the Raptors know all about the pressing perimeter need, especially as they navigate a path to fix the spacing around Scottie Barnes and company.
This cap crunch hurdle facing OKC was already on the radar for a while, and it definitely caught the eye of my Raptors Rapture colleague Daniel O'Connor, as he highlighted Toronto's appeal as a top suitor to help the Thunder out in their dilemma.
Joe was just one of the names mentioned in that piece, and while he isn't quite the two-way threat this organization prioritizes, you can't deny a championship-proven, consistent 40-plus percent shooter as not being a guy you'd want on a contending roster. Especially with the Raptors' promising 2025-26 showcase, plugging in a hot shooter like Joe into the game was something they could've used in the regular season and desperately in the postseason.
However, as I'll get to in a subsequent piece, Toronto's inability to swoop in on a low-cost deal like this (and another like the missed opportunity to acquire Isaiah Stewart) is just further proof to fans and the organization of their recent financial sins coming back to bite them, when that flexibility is gravely needed now.
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