May 9, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) before the game against the Denver Nuggets during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Ex-Sixers Win NBA Finals With Oklahoma City Thunder

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 11:14 PM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers’ fan base wasn’t able to witness the “Process” favorite, TJ McConnell, win the NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers. However, some ex-Sixers will get a ring for being members of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have been crowned the 2025 NBA Champions.

Isaiah Joe is the only member of the Thunder who played for the Sixers’ main roster. He’s a former second-round pick out of Arkansas, who gained a lot of pre-draft buzz as a favorite in the Philadelphia front office.

Leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft, the Sixers made a major change in the front office by hiring Daryl Morey to take over as the President of Basketball Operations. While Morey grabbed the keys to the front office, Elton Brand remained it place as the General Manager.

It was Brand’s front office that heavily scouted Joe. There was a reported promise in place for Philadelphia to select Joe, but it wasn’t with their first-round pick.

The Sixers snagged Tyrese Maxey with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Joe joined the team as the 49th overall pick. He was one of two second-rounders for the Sixers that year, joining Paul Reed.

Joe’s time with the Sixers would last two years. During his rookie season, he appeared in 41 games. The young sharpshooter averaged four points while knocking down 37 percent of his threes. In year two, Joe played in 55 games. He came off the bench for an average of 11 minutes per game, and shot 33 percent from three, averaging four points per outing.

Ahead of the 2022-2023 NBA season, the Sixers waived Joe after the preseason. That’s when he caught on with the OKC Thunder. Over the past three seasons, Joe averaged nine points off the bench for the Thunder, hitting on 41 percent of his threes. Leading up to Sunday night’s Game 7, Joe appeared in 21 games during the 2025 postseason, knocking down 23 of his 56 threes and totaling 107 points.

Along with Joe, former Sixers’ Summer League participant Alex Caruso became a two-time champion on Sunday. Caruso never played for the Sixers outside of the Summer League. He first caught on with the Los Angeles Lakers. After spending four seasons with LA, Caruso signed with the Chicago Bulls.

Following a three-year run in Chicago, Caruso was traded to the OKC Thunder ahead of the 2024-2025 NBA season. It was a key move for OKC, as Caruso played a pivotal role off the bench for the Thunder, who dominated the season from start to finish.