Mavericks should trade for Thunder's forgotten 3-point sniper to fix glaring problem

The Dallas Mavericks have to find a fix to their 3-point shooting after ranking in the bottom five of the NBA in 3-point percentage, 3-pointers attempted, and made per game last season. This needs to be one of their biggest priorities this summer, as they can't expect to turn things around without adding more shooters around Cooper Flagg. Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz have to tackle this head-on to make life easier on their 19-year-old franchise cornerstone.

A promising trade option for Dallas to consider is Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe. He led the reigning NBA Champions in 3-point percentage last season at 42.3 percent on 6.0 attempts per game, but he became an afterthought during the NBA Playoffs. For the second season in a row, Joe's role plummeted during the most important basketball of the year in April and May.

Isaiah Joe's postseason role raises questions about his long-term future

He went from playing 21.2 minutes per game during the regular season to 11.0 during the playoffs, and this included two games playing less than two minutes and one DNP-CD (in Game 7) against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard played a crucial role in helping OKC survive an injury-riddled stretch during the second half of the season, but Mark Daigneault didn't trust him to be on the court when their season was on the line.

Casual fans who only began watching OKC during the postseason would never know that the Thunder had one of the better volume 3-point shooters in the NBA on their roster, and his numbers from this season prove how dangerous he was from long range. The Mavericks need to take and make way more threes next season, and volume has never been a problem for the six-year veteran.

Jamal Murray and Kon Knueppel were the only two players in the NBA who played in at least 41 games while shooting at least five threes per game who shot more efficiently from three than Joe. This is impressive company, especially with Knueppel having one of the best shooting seasons from a rookie we've ever seen.

Despite Joe having four straight seasons of shooting above 40 percent from three, it's hard to justify him being a long-term piece of OKC's core. He still has two more years remaining on a four-year, $48 million contract, and with the Thunder needing to free up some money to potentially extend Lu Dort and/or Isaiah Hartenstein, offloading Joe in a trade may be the best way to do this.

They're not going to be able to pay everyone, and getting value back for Joe from Dallas would seem like a win for OKC.

Joe would give the Mavericks the 3-point marksman they need

This is why the Mavericks should call the Thunder about making a deal. OKC has precious first-round draft capital that Dallas needs to build around Flagg, along with one of the most under-the-radar 3-point snipers in the NBA. Joe doesn't get enough love for the consistency he's had in Oklahoma City, and if the Mavericks traded for him, he would provide immediate relief to their worrisome floor spacing and long-range shooting.

He is someone defenses can't afford to leave off the catch, and his smooth release and smart off-ball movement have both significantly contributed to his continuous success as a shooter. Joe always finds the open holes in the defense, and he has the confidence to let it fly, even when he's multiple feet beyond the arc.

He can even drill shots off the dribble when relocating to an open spot, and he likes to utilize his step-back jumper at times. Joe looks comfortable when catching the ball from beyond the arc, regardless of where the nearest defender is.

His entire role is to drill threes. The former Arkansas Razorback has made a career out of being a knockdown shooter, and his improved defense from this past season is the cherry on top of why Dallas should try to trade for him.

His specialty is the Mavericks' weakness, and with the Thunder needing to make some moves around the edges to keep their core intact, Joe could be on the chopping block. If he becomes as expendable as he seems, Ujiri should have Sam Presti on speed dial.

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