Pistons Trade for Thunder’s Isaiah Joe As Perfect Offseason Continues

Pistons fans are seeing weight being lifted off of superstar guard Cade Cunningham's shoulders one offseason move at a time.

It's refreshing for fans to see that the Pistons front office saw a lot of the same things they saw from their television screen at home. Detroit is a team that has struggled with perimeter shooting for two straight winning seasons. They're a team without much offensive versatility or creativity. As currently constructed, Cunningham is tasked with carrying the weight of a franchise into clutch situations. The emergence of Pistons big man Jalen Duren was massive for his career, but a lot of his points came from the gravity Cunningham created.

The Pistons need bucket-getters. They're search for explosiveness on the offensive end began at the NBA Draft. Langdon selected Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie after trading up from the No. 21 pick to the No. 17, ensuring Okorie didn't slip further. Now, the Pistons have traded two second-round picks for Oklahoma City Thunder sharpshooter Isaiah Joe.

Isaiah Joe and the Piston — Mar 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) gestures as he defends Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Who is Isaiah Joe?

FULL TRADE DETAILS:

Pistons receive:
Isaiah Joe

Thunder receive:
2 future second-round picks

(via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/pvH2W72OHi
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 26, 2026

The acqusition of Isaiah Joe is proof that Langdon and the Detroit front office are really doing their due diligence in search of talent around the league. If more teams knew someone with Joe's skills was available, he may have been harder to acquire.

Isaiah Joe is a 6-foot-4 guard out of Arkansas. He's headed into his seventh season in the NBA this fall. His hard work and playstyle has earned him a spot in the NBA for as long as he wants to be in the NBA. Joe, 26, averaged a career-high in points last season with 11.1 points. He also averaged 21.2 minutes and 0.7 steals while shooting 45.5% from the field and an extremely efficient 42.3% from three-point range. Joe is one of the most reliable long range marksmen the league has to offer.

Joe has shot above 41% from three-point range for the past three seasons, and shot 40.9% four seasons ago. Joe has averaged six three-point attempts the past two seasons as well. He is exactly the kind of players Detroit needs. They don't just need scoring, they need confident and decisive shot-makers.

What may be most attractive to Pistons fans about Joe is his efficiency in the playoffs. Joe, just like the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder squad, don't seem to get rattled in clutch time. The sharpshooter shot 41.1% from three-point range during their championship run two seasons ago and shot 41% in the postseason prior. Joe is someone who shoots unconsciously. Jump shooting is second nature to Joe. He's exactly the kind of player Cunningham feel relieved is in the same building as him.

What this means for winning basketball games

When Detroit's best players, Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham, draw multiple defenders because of how dominant they were in many occasions during last year's regular season, they should feel secure with who they're passing the ball out on the perimeter too. The collection of Ausar Thompson, Daniss Jenkins, Tobias Harris, Javonte Green, Paul Reed, and Ron Holland isn't exactly a cast of stars expected to shoot confidently and efficiently from three-point range.

The Pistons pick up a stellar wing shooter for Cade Cunningham -- Joe averaged 11.1 points in 21.2 minutes per game while shooting 42.3% on six 3-point attempts -- and the Thunder have now accumulated four second-round picks in separate trades of Joe and Aaron Wiggins. https://t.co/ZNNkA9tVrK
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2026

Joe brings spacing to the Pistons. Joe is a legitimate and established threat from three-point range. His presence alone brings elite defenders out of the paint and away from the rim. Thompson's keeps defenders closer to the rim because they know he either won't or he can't shoot threes. He's an offensive liability at the moment. Joe is the complete opposite of that. Joe forces defenders to respect his scoring ability, leaving more room for shiftier and craftier guards to operate in more open spaces toward the paint.

If Duren doesn't re-sign with the Pistons, expect rim protection to be a team need later in the offseason. Trading Isaiah Stewart was a price worth paying for as long as the rest of the Pistons' cards fall into the right spots in the deck. Around the league, the Pistons are expected to make a bigger move for a bigger star within the next few weeks. They've been reportedly linked to new Milwaukee Bucks guard Tyler Herro and current Miami Heat guard Norman Powell.

Langdon hasn't missed this offseason yet. Explosiveness and creative versatility was the most important team need this offseason and Langdon has addressed in a big way. Expect Joe to average more minutes on the Pistons this season than he ever has for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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