The Detroit Pistons made a move Friday that didn’t grab huge headlines but quietly shifted the entire backcourt market. They traded for Isaiah Joe from the Oklahoma City Thunder, sending out two future second-round picks to get him. On its own, that’s a solid pickup for a team that needs shooting. But the ripple effects might matter more than the deal itself.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Detroit’s acquisition of Joe makes it less likely the Pistons will pursue other guards they’d been linked to. That list includes Tyler Herro, who’s reportedly headed to Milwaukee in the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster, and Norman Powell, who’s set to hit unrestricted free agency.
“Sources say that the Pistons’ acquisition of Joe now makes it less likely that they will pursue other targets on their list of guards known for shooting prowess,” Fischer wrote. “If that approach gets locked in, Joe’s arrival would have ripple effects on Norman Powell’s unrestricted free agency as well as the follow-up trade market for soon-to-be-Buck Tyler Herro.”
What the Pistons Are Getting in Isaiah Joe
Joe isn’t a star. He averaged 11.1 points last season for the Thunder. But the numbers that matter: 45.5 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from three on about six attempts per game. That’s elite-level shooting, especially for a team that ranked near the bottom of the league in three-point percentage. The Pistons needed spacing around Cade Cunningham, and Joe gives them that without requiring them to trade a real asset or commit big money.
The draft compensation is modest. Detroit sent Oklahoma City a 2030 second-round pick from Minnesota and its own 2031 second-rounder. Cheap. Which tells you the Pistons see Joe as a rotation piece, not a splashy addition.
Fischer also noted that the Pistons had already swung and missed twice this week in their search for backcourt help. Austin Reaves re-signed with the Lakers. Coby White stayed in Chicago. Joe was the fallback, but he’s a decent one.
So where does that leave Tyler Herro and Norman Powell? Herro’s situation is still a little messy because the Miami Heat haven’t officially moved him yet, but the expectation is he ends up in Milwaukee. That deal might still involve a third team. But Detroit doesn’t look like that team anymore. Powell, meanwhile, might be waiting longer than expected for a big offer if the Pistons — one of the teams with cap room and a need for his scoring — are now out of the picture.
None of this is set in stone. Teams change their minds all the time. But for now, the Pistons look like they’re done shopping for guards. Joe is their guy. Everyone else can stop staring at Detroit’s phone.
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