What was the Isaiah Joe trade?

Born on July 2, 1999 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Isaiah Joe plays as shooting guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Joe was drafted 49th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020 NBA Draft. Since parting ways with the 76ers, he has shown noticeable improvement, refining his game and establishing himself as a reliable bench player. His shooting accuracy has notably bolstered his contributions to a young and talented OKC team.

Before the NBA, Joe played college ball for the University of Arkansas for two seasons. In his freshman season, he broke many Arkansas records after averaging 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Joe made his mark in the SEC as a freshman, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team. He showcased his shooting ability by ranking among the top players in 3-point field goals made and secured the seventh spot in points per game. On defense, Joe’s knack for generating steals stood out, placing him 10th in steals within the conference.

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Isaiah Joe Trade

To create roster spot and free salary space, Isaiah Joe was waived by the 76ers on October 13, 2022. The Oklahoma City Thunder then grabbed the opportunity to sign him as a free agent after he cleared the waivers on October 16, 2022. Isaiah Joe was signed on a three-year $6 million contract in free agency.

He has never looked back from that moment and has grabbed this opportunity with both hands. With the Thunder, Joe seems to have improved his shooting efficiency and is progressing on the defensive end. He averaged 2.5 3-point field goal attempts per match with the 76ers and was shooting 34.9% from beyond the arc. Since he signed with OKC, he has doubled the attempts to five per match and shooting 41.0% as of March 2024.

Alongside superstar Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey, Joe has the opportunity to make deep playoff runs in the coming seasons in OKC.

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