Getty Isaiah Joe #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers is introduced before playing against the Denver Nuggets at Wells Fargo Center on January 09, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
There were mixed feelings when the Philadelphia 76ers elected to release Isaiah Joe. The unfortunate reality of the 15-man roster limit is that NBA teams simply cannot keep every talented player that is a part of the organization. This tight roster crunch and the number of veteran players ahead of Joe on the depth chart ultimately led to the decision to release the 23-year-old. There were reports that the Sixers had an interest in bringing back the sniper on a two-way contract, but they were not given an opportunity as Joe signed a multi-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder to be a part of their regular NBA squad.
Free agent guard Isaiah Joe is finalizing a multiyear deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Joe’s Fit on Thunder
This is a terrific landing spot for the young guard. Joe struggled to find minutes on the court with the Sixers due to the number of veterans ahead of him on the depth chart. He played a total of 992 minutes at the NBA level and averaged just 3.7 points per game while shooting 34.9% on three-point attempts. The win-now focus of the Sixers meant a short leash for Joe’s time on the court and he was unable to ever fully carve out a role.
There will be a much better opportunity with the Thunder who are firmly in the middle of their rebuild. Coming off back-to-back seasons with under 25 wins and with their top draft pick, Chet Holmgren, out for the season the Thunder are not expected to become competitive anytime soon. The focus of the organization will be on the development of young players and Joe will surely be a part of this.
Now Thunder player Isaiah Joe cooking the Thunder in this year’s Summer-League
In his brief on-court opportunities Joe has shown signs of intrigue. His ability to shoot off movement is impressive and he has a range extending far beyond the three-point line. The Arkansas product has solid ball-handling abilities and competes on the defensive side of the ball. He projects nicely as a rotational player in the long term but still seems to be a few years away from being ready to fill this role.
Sixers Players’ Reaction to the Signing
Several members of the Sixers organization praised Joe for receiving the opportunity. Both Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris took to social media to give a shoutout to the former Sixer. Joe was a part of the same draft class as Maxey and Paul Reed in 2020. Head Coach Doc Rivers also opened up on how difficult it was for him to see Joe leave due to his belief that he is an NBA player. The win-now focus and depth at his position just made it impossible for the Sixers to keep him on the roster.
Tobias Harris also posted the same thing. His former teammates are happy to see Isaiah Joe land with the Thunder today. #Sixers
It is terrific to see Joe land on his feet and get another NBA opportunity. However, the Sixers will now shift their focus to finalizing their roster and the upcoming season. Philly currently has 14 full-time players on the official roster and both two-way slots are filled meaning there is room for one player to be added. Flexibility at the bottom of the roster and some freed-up salary cap space were sourced as another driving force for the decision to let go of Joe. The young guard may not have been the missing piece from Daryl Morey’s perspective, but with additional cap space and a slot to fill his work likely isn’t done.