Is Isaiah Joe the Thunder's Best Free Agency Signing to Date?

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed Isaiah Joe to a contract just a few weeks before the start of the 2022-23 season.

After being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in October, OKC was quick to pounce on the former Arkansas Razorback, signing him to an NBA contract. With the Thunder fresh off of a 24-win season in 2021-22, many thought that Joe would be another player who Mark Daigneault and Sam Presti put on the floor to help the team continue to develop young players, practice "roster exploration" and possibly continue the squad's rebuilding efforts.

This was not the case, however, as Oklahoma City was competitive throughout the season. With how well the team was playing compared to expectations, it seemed unlikely that a former second-round pick who was waived just before the start of the season would make an impact, but Joe proved everyone wrong.

The sharpshooting guard first endeared himself to Thunder fans in a late October contest against the Dallas Mavericks, when Joe hit multiple clutch 3-pointers at the end of regulation and in overtime to help OKC secure an important early-season victory over Dallas.

When Joe entered the game for the first time, Oklahoma City trailed by 16 with around four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. In just nine total minutes between regulation and overtime, Joe went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and 3-for-3 from the line, finishing with 15 points, two rebounds and one assist.

The Thunder were down 79-95 when Isaiah Joe checked in with 4:53 in the 4th

They ended up winning 117-111 in OT

Joe finished as a +24 in 9 MINUTES pic.twitter.com/LRmkHpp3GM
— TF (@ThunderFocus) October 30, 2022

As the year went on, Joe continued to prove his value as a knockdown 3-point shooter, filling an important role on a Thunder team that desperately needed more perimeter shooting.

During his first season in the Modern Frontier, Joe averaged 9.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc. Additionally, Joe was one of only 13 players in the NBA last season who shot better than 42% on catch-and-shoot triples.

With Joe's ability to space the floor for OKC, the 6-foot-3 wing provides an important skill that makes life on offense easier for Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

While he has only been in Oklahoma City for one season, Joe's success and the Thunder's lack of big-time free agent signings make him one of the top additions in the team's 15-year history.

Without factoring in players who have resigned, like Paul George, or undrafted free agents, like Lu Dort, Joe has a good case to be Oklahoma City's best free agent signing.

Joe's competition in the field are players like Nerlens Noel and Anthony Morrow. Both were solid in their role on the team, and Morrow's numbers during his first season with the Thunder are similar to Joe's stats from 2022-23.

Morrow, however, did not provide the same passing acumen and defensive effort that Joe has already showcased in an OKC jersey. Additionally, Morrow was in his seventh season when he averaged 10.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc.

Joe, on the other hand, attempted more 3-point shots per game and still managed similar statistics during his third year in the NBA. Joe also showed off some ability to create his own shot and take the ball to the rim late in the season.

Attacking the lane with force! pic.twitter.com/NHJvwBBlVQ
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 29, 2023

If the Arkansas native can continue to produce at a similar level, he will likely have a spot on the team for years to come and will likely go down as one of Oklahoma City's best free agent signings in the past decade.

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