The Detroit Pistons recently traded Italian forward Simone Fontecchio to the Miami Heat as part of a sign-and-trade to acquire Duncan Robinson.
In a recent interview with Italian newspaper Il Centro, Fontecchio opened up about the trade and a key memory of his early days with the Pistons.
Initially acquired from the Utah Jazz, the Pistons gave the 29-year-old plenty of opportunities to finish out the 2023-2024 season.
That led to an encounter with Phoenix Suns forward and 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant during one of his early games with the Pistons.
“During a break in the game, Durant came up to me and told me: ‘We tried everything we could to get you here, but we couldn’t do it,’” Fontecchio said — translated from Italian. “It was a great show of respect from a champion of the game and it made me realize how much he thought of me.”
The interaction presumably would’ve happened on Feb. 14, 2024, when Fontecchio put up 18 points in a losing effort against the Suns.
Durant was recently traded to the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster deal. Ironically enough, the Heat were one of the reported preferred destinations for Durant, along with Houston and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Pistons gave Fontecchio a lot of opportunities late in what was already a lost season when he first arrived.
However, his role diminished during the 2024-2025 season as the Pistons began thriving under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
The offseason addition of Tobias Harris and the emergence of Ausar Thompson at the forward spot didn’t help matters as Fontecchio became a limited contributor off the bench.
Fontecchio claims he asked for the trade, in part referencing the fact he did not play at all for the Pistons in the playoffs.
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“I asked to be traded and Detroit granted it, which wasn’t a given at all, especially considering the significant contract I signed two summers ago,” Fontecchio said. “(Not playing in the playoffs) is something I still have a hard time accepting. I was very disappointed, I pointed it out, but I will be eternally grateful to the club.”
Fontecchio will hope to carve out a more consistent role with the Heat after averaging 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game with the Pistons last season.
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