It was only January when it appeared OKC Thunder guard Isaiah Joe was finally earning his stripes in coach Mark Daigneault's offense. Then, the trade deadline rolled around, and new acquisition Jared McCain made his presence felt immediately.
McCain's stellar performances demanded more time on the floor, and Joe became the inadvertent casualty. By the time the postseason rolled around, he was a complete nonfactor. Now, at the season's end, the beloved Thunder veteran just told the world how he truly felt about the situation.
"As a player and competitor, it's frustrating. But in the moment, being in those games where you don't play, you're just trying to bring energy to the guys," Joe admitted.
It's clear that, as much as Joe bought into the Thunder's team-first culture, there was no denying that the competitor in him was far from satisfied.
The worst part is that his diminishing minutes were to no fault of his own. Unlike some of his counterparts, he did everything he could to earn his stripes. The three-point assassin shot a blistering 50.0 from deep in February. Then, after a mild slump in March, he finished the regular season shooting an unheralded 64.3 percent from range.
Unfortunately, his elevated performance down the stretch may have been too late. Now, on the outside of the rotation looking in, he might have seen his last days in a Thunder uniform.
Joe will almost certainly have better days ahead of him
Joe represents a tantalizing trade piece for the Thunder. He's a career 40.6 percent three-point shooter, and his $11.3 million salary in 2026-27 is practically a non-issue if a playoff team were to come knocking.
In their Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder's lack of physicality was exposed. Chet Holmgren got pushed around by opponents of all shapes and sizes, and Isaiah Hartenstein stood as the only man capable of putting a body on Victor Wembanyama.
Joe averaged 9.3 minutes in the series and failed to see the floor in two of the seven games.
By dealing him this summer, Sam Presti could trim the fat around the perimeter and use pieces like Joe and Aaron Wiggins to shift talent to the front court. Both players possess valuable skillsets and would easily fit into most teams' rotations.
After hearing Joe air out his frustrations after the season, it's hard not to empathize with a man who has done everything his coaching staff has asked of him. If he indeed moves cities this offseason, Thunder fans will likely be rooting him on from afar - at least until he returns to Bricktown.
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