After acquiring him in the sign-and-trade deal that sent Duncan Robinson to the Pistons, the Miami Heat could part ways with Simone Fontecchio due to luxury tax concerns
Credit: AP Photo/Raul Romero Jr. - Scanpix
Italian forward Simone Fontecchio is preparing for the upcoming EuroBasket with the Italian NT, but his NBA future remains up in the air.
Fontecchio was recently traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade that brought Duncan Robinson to Detroit. Fontecchio's contract will expire at the end of the upcoming season, and that makes him a useful chip on the market.
The Heat are still looking at ways to shed salary and avoid the luxury tax, and Fontecchio could be one of the candidates to be waived by using the stretch provision.
According to Ira Winderman, Miami Heat beat writer for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Italian wing, who's set to make $ 8.3 million this season, could be waived by August 29th, the deadline to use the stretch provision, allowing the Heat to spread his salary over multiple years.
By waiving and stretching his salary, the Heat would go under the luxury tax, which would also help them avoid the repeater luxury tax, a further sanction imposed on teams that have been in the luxury tax for four consecutive seasons.
The Florida-based franchise has several players in the wing department and, considering his contract status, Fontecchio could easily become a candidate to leave the team and easing the financial situation of the team.
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