The Detroit Pistons needed shooting.
They got it.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Detroit is sending two second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Isaiah Joe, giving the Pistons one of the league’s most reliable three-point threats without emptying the asset drawer.
That matters, because Detroit has been linked to several guards and wings this offseason, including Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Coby White, and Austin Reaves.
But after adding Joe, the Pistons may not need to chase every name on the rumor board.
Isaiah Joe Gives Detroit the Shooting It Needed
Joe is not the splashiest name Detroit has been connected to this summer.
He might be one of the cleanest fits.
The 26-year-old has shot better than 40 percent from three-point range in each of the past four seasons, including a career-best 42.3 percent during the 2025-26 season.
For a Pistons team built around Cade Cunningham, that skill matters.
Cade needs spacing. He needs reliable shooters who punish defenses for collapsing into the paint. He needs players who do not need the ball for 12 seconds before deciding what to do with it.
Joe checks those boxes.
He can space the floor, run off screens, fire quickly, and make defenses pay for helping too aggressively.
That is exactly the kind of player Detroit has needed around Cunningham.
Why Herro and Powell May Be Less Likely
According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Joe trade makes it less likely Detroit will aggressively pursue other potential shooting targets such as Tyler Herro and Norman Powell.
That makes sense.
Herro had been connected to Detroit even before he was included in the blockbuster deal that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat.
Herro could still be moved by Milwaukee, but the Bucks are not opposed to keeping him.
Powell is also complicated.
The Heat have become hard-capped at the first apron following the Antetokounmpo trade, but Powell’s value to Miami has increased as the team works through its roster math.
The Pistons could keep checking in.
But adding Joe means they no longer have to force the issue.
Detroit Chose Certainty
This is the key part.
The Pistons did not wait around for Milwaukee or Miami to decide what they wanted to do.
They did not gamble their offseason on Herro becoming available at the right price or Powell shaking free from a complicated cap situation.
They traded two second-round picks for a proven shooter with one guaranteed year remaining on his contract, plus a team option for 2027-28.
That is smart business.
Not loud business.
Not headline-dominating business.
But smart.
And for a team that just won 60 games before flaming out in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, smart still matters.
The Pistons Still Have Bigger Questions
The Joe trade does not solve everything.
Detroit is still working through contract negotiations with Jalen Duren, who is preparing to hit restricted free agency.
The two sides reportedly do not appear close to a deal, though there is still an expectation the Pistons will bring him back by either working out a contract or matching an offer sheet.
The Pistons also have other roster questions.
Tobias Harris is an unrestricted free agent after serving as Detroit’s second-leading scorer in the playoffs.
Duncan Robinson could be waived to create salary cap space, with only $2 million of his $15.9 million salary for next season guaranteed.
Detroit already traded Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies for three second-round picks.
So yes, the Pistons added a shooter.
No, the offseason is not finished.
What This Means for Cade Cunningham
The Pistons’ whole offseason should be viewed through one question:
Does this make life easier for Cade Cunningham?
Adding Joe does.
He gives Cade another target on kickouts. He helps unclog the floor. He gives Detroit a shooter who defenses have to respect.
That does not mean Joe is the missing piece.
It means Detroit added a useful one.
The Pistons did not need to deplete their long-term assets to get better. They needed to add shooting, preserve flexibility, and keep themselves positioned for a larger move if the right one appears.
Trading two second-round picks for Joe does that.
It may not end Detroit’s offseason.
But it gives the Pistons something they badly needed.
A shooter who can actually shoot.
