Pistons Boost Shooting
Detroit Pistons Acquire Isaiah Joe in Trade, Bolstering Perimeter Shooting Deficiency
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Key Points
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Isaiah Joe previously signed a four-year, $48 million extension with Oklahoma City in 2024, locking in his value with the Thunder before being traded to Detroit.
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Joe is under two years left on a $22.6 million contract with a team option for the 2027-28 season, and he is owed about $11.3 million for the coming season.
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Oklahoma City has significantly reduced its luxury-tax exposure with the Wiggins and Joe trades, creating two traded player exceptions (roughly $11.3 million and $9.2 million) and shaving more than $140 million off potential tax penalties.
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The Pistons entered this offseason amid a well-documented shooting gap, finishing the season 28th in 3-pointers made and 29th in attempts, underscoring the drive to add reliable perimeter shooting.
The Detroit Pistons have acquired guard Isaiah Joe from the Oklahoma City Thunder for two future second-round picks, AP reported. Joe, 26, shot a career-best 42.3% from three-point range last season and gives Detroit an immediate scoring threat off the bench alongside Duncan Robinson and Cade Cunningham.
The deal addresses one of Detroit's most glaring weaknesses. The Pistons finished the 2025-26 season ranked 28th in 3-pointers made and 29th in attempts, according to Detroit News. Those numbers helped expose Cunningham — who averaged 28.1 points and 7.5 assists per game in the playoffs — to constant double-teams.
Detroit Pays Bargain Price for Elite Shooter
The Pistons sent Minnesota's 2030 second-round pick and Detroit's own 2031 second-round pick to Oklahoma City. In return, they get Joe and roughly two years left on his contract. Joe is owed $11.3 million next season, with a team option for $11.3 million in 2027-28, per Detroit News.
Joe signed a four-year, $48 million extension with Oklahoma City in 2024. Now Detroit gets that production at a steep discount. Pistons President Trajan Langdon said the team needs "players who can handle the ball and space the floor." Joe, who made 681 three-pointers during his six seasons with OKC, fits that profile directly, Panow noted.
OKC Sheds $149 Million in Tax Penalties in One Week
For Oklahoma City, the Joe trade is about survival under the NBA's strict salary rules. The Thunder faced a projected $213 million luxury-tax bill for 2026-27. By trading Joe and wing Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta earlier this week, OKC slashed more than $140 million off potential tax penalties, per the live research briefing.
The two trades also created financial tools called traded player exceptions — worth roughly $11.3 million and $9.2 million — that give OKC flexibility to make moves during next season. Sam Presti's front office has made clear that staying under the "second apron" salary cap threshold is the priority, even if it means breaking up a championship rotation, Brandon Sun reported.
Cunningham Finally Gets the Floor Spacers He Needs
Cade Cunningham was Detroit's engine in the 2025-26 season. He carried the Pistons to the No. 1 seed in the East with a 60-22 record. But in the playoffs, he turned the ball over 5.6 times per game, partly because opponents could ignore Detroit's weak shooting and crowd him, according to Raptors Rapture.
Adding Joe gives Cunningham two shooters above 42% from three — Joe at 42.3% and Robinson at 45.6% in the playoffs — to pull defenders away from the paint. One analyst called Joe "one of the only players in the league shooting over 40% on high volume." The spacing upgrade is real and immediate.
Lu Dort Decision Looms as OKC's Next Big Move
The Thunder are not done reshaping their roster. Even after trading Joe and Wiggins, OKC remains roughly $18.8 million above the second apron. That puts veteran defender Lu Dort in the spotlight. The team must decide by June 29 whether to pick up his $17.2 million option or trade him, per Brandon Sun.
Oklahoma City also drafted Stanford guard Bennett Stirtz at No. 17 in the 2026 NBA Draft. Moving veterans for picks clears roster spots for cheaper, younger players like Stirtz. The Thunder's "Big Three" of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams remains intact. OKC is betting that financial flexibility — not roster depth — is the key to staying a title contender long-term.
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