As the OKC Thunder approach the league's February 5 trade deadline, outside of a 12-game rough patch spanning parts of December and January, things have been relatively smooth sailing thus far into 2025-26.
However, from an internal standpoint, while players are beginning to find their groove within Mark Daigneault's system, one player has been playing his way out of the rotation.
Isaiah Joe has seen under 20 minutes of action on the floor in 10 of his last 12 games and is dropping just 5.4 points on average during that span.
Just recently, the folks at the Game Theory Podcast threw out a potential solution for what to do with the Thunder's reeling wingman:
"Isaiah Joe makes $11 million next season. If they wanted to try to move Isaiah Joe for, like, a ball handler on an expiring deal that would better allow them to retain Isaiah Hartenstein into the future, I think that is something [the Thunder] would be willing to discuss," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie said.
Vecenie would further discuss how it would be more than a move to just "shake things up." It would be to better position the team for free agency.
Moving Isaiah Joe would allow Thunder to consolidate minutes
Regardless of financial motivation, the concept of the Thunder moving their veteran wing makes sense from a rotation standpoint.
Right now, Joe and Aaron Wiggins are essentially fighting for the same role. Both have excelled as catch-and-shoot, offensive-oriented snipers from beyond the arc, yet they give up a slight defensive advantage on the court.
Both have struggled to earn significant playing time this year, averaging under 23 minutes per game. Consolidating those minutes can help further develop one of the two while allowing the other to be used as an asset in a potential trade.
Given that Wiggins is the more capable ball-handler and has been the slightly better defender, it is only right that he is the player worth holding onto.
Moving Joe would also open up more minutes for beloved veteran forward Kenrich Williams, who currently has the highest catch-and-shoot percentage from three on the team and is one of the leaders in contested three-point percentage.
Adding a veteran ball-handler would free up shooting talent for Thunder
Adding a veteran shot-creator could serve to open up other parts of the offense.
With OKC's best ball-handler, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, also establishing himself as one of the team's better catch-and-shoot options, Daigneault would have more flexibility to move players all over the floor, making his offense more versatile than it has been in recent games.
Looking forward to next year, the freed cap space could also help the Thunder sign a spot-up shooter who is capable of playing better defense than Joe. The current three-point-percentage leader also has the worst defensive rating and defensive field goal percentage on the team.
Adding a veteran presence that can contribute on both sides of the basketball would be a perfect fit for a Thunder team that does not lack top-tier scorers. Especially with playmaker Nikola Topic looking to make a name for himself in the rotation next season, a veteran rental player is likely all OKC needs to cement itself as a championship shoo-in.