Isaiah Joe has been a constant contributor to the Oklahoma City Thunder since the moment he stepped on the floor in a big moment for the first time in a 2022 regular-season game against the Dallas Mavericks. Joe did exactly what he would become known for throughout his time with the Thunder: knock down 3-point field goals at the highest level, getting hot within seconds.

The Arkansas product stepped on the floor for the first time in the contest with the team down double-digits and willed them back into it. Joe scored 15 points in nine minutes of action in an overtime victory.

That moment has defined exactly what kind of player Joe is and has been his entire career: a selfless teammate and electric microwave scorer off the bench. He has been the Thunder's best 3-point shooter every year since he joined the team.

"Being here with this team, I've learned that the work that I put in, it's bigger than me," Joe said in his postseason media availability. "To go back to buying in and playing for one another, you have a mentality of, like, I want to improve, but I want to win for these guys. I want to play hard for these guys."

Joe had the best year of his career in 2025-26, averaging 11.1 points per game on 42.3% from 3-point range on 6.0 attempts. He scored the most points of his career while shooting a career-best mark from his calling card, the long ball.

Despite that, Joe still struggled to find minutes during the postseason, with new addition Jared McCain taking over where his usual rotational spot would have been. Joe averaged just 4.8 points per game on 34.8% from behind the arc in just 11 playoff minutes per game.

"As a player or competitor, it's frustrating, but in the moment, it's more of, like, what can I do to help the team win, and in that moment, being in those games where you don't play, you're just trying to bring energy to the guys," Joe said. "You don't know if your number is going to get called, but you've still got to find ways to bring energy or bring life to the team and help them win."

According to reports from both Sam Amick and Marc Stein, Isaiah Joe has garnered interest from the Detroit Pistons, and it would make sense for the sharpshooter to be an odd man out in this Thunder team. OKC has a rotation of at least eight playable guards with two first-round picks on the way.

Despite all he has done for the organization, this move is potentially one of the first dominoes to fall in a challenging Thunder offseason.