Adding more shooting was one of the top priorities for the Detroit Pistons heading into the offseason. After struggling mightily from downtown all season and the playoffs, the Pistons had to acquire more shooters to provide more spacing for Cade Cunningham. While drafting Ebuka Okorie gave the Pistons more offensive firepower, it didn't necessarily solve their shooting woes.
On Friday, the Pistons finally made the move the fanbase has been waiting for. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Detroit is trading two second-round picks for Oklahoma City Thunder's Isaiah Joe.
Pistons acquire Isaiah Joe from the OKC Thunder with their first big offseason trade
Even though he doesn't have the name recognition as some of the other reported Pistons trade targets, Joe is as good a fit as any. The 26-year-old shooting guard is one of the most elite marksmen in the league, hitting over 40% from three for four straight seasons. In fact, since the 2022-23 season, when he first became a rotation player in the league, Joe has made 41.5% of his threes on 5.5 attempts per game.
Very few shooters can get up as many threes as Joe. He has ranked in the top five in three-point attempts per 36 minutes in each of the last two seasons. That type of volume and accuracy make him one of the more underrated offensive weapons in the league.
The reason OKC wanted to move on from Joe is purely financial. He is due $11.3 million next season, and the Thunder have the highest payroll in the league. Way over the second apron, the Thunder are desperately trying to shed salary to be able to bring back their key players like Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein. This is also why the Pistons were able to get him for only two second-rounders.
This shouldn't prevent Detroit from making other moves. Whether the Pistons will use the trade exception they created in the Isaiah Stewart trade to fit Joe in or if they will use their cap space is currently unclear. Regardless, the Pistons are still expected to be active in free agency and the trade market.
The addition of Joe could also signal the departure of Duncan Robinson. The two players have somewhat redundant skill sets, and the Pistons have a decision to make about Robinson. Only $2 million of his $15.9 million salary for next season is guaranteed, so if Detroit feels like Joe can replicate what Robinson provides, they could certainly move on from him.
Using Caris LeVert and Ron Holland in trades could still land the Pistons more difference-makers, especially since they also have a ton of draft capital to use. Needless to say, the Pistons will continue to be a team to watch over the next few weeks.
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