As part of the sign-and-trade deal that sent longtime Miami Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson to the Detroit Pistons, the Heat acquired forward Simone Fontecchio. Fontecchio, a native of Italy, was a rotation player in the regular season for a Pistons team that surprised a lot of people and qualified for the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
In 75 games played with Detroit and zero starts last season, he averaged 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 33.5 percent from 3-point range. In the 2023-24 season, he shot an impressive 40.1 percent from long range.
But his future with Miami is now in question, as there seems to be a real chance that the Heat will part ways with him before he even makes his debut with the team. Niko Yenibayrak wrote on X on Tuesday that the Heat are considering waiving Fontecchio so they can avoid the luxury tax. Fontecchio is set to make around $8.3 million with Miami in the coming season.
“🚨Simone Fontecchio may be waived by the Miami Heat,” Yenibayrak wrote on X, according to a translation.
“The Heat are considering waiving the player to avoid the luxury tax.
“Fenerbahçe Beko is closely monitoring the situation of the Italian star, whose potential return to Europe is emerging.”
Five Reasons Sports’ Ethan J. Skolnick provided a fresh report on Fontecchio’s future in Miami as well.
“I mentioned this as a possibility they may consider the day they acquired him,” Skolnick wrote via Discord, referencing the possibility of Fontecchio being waived. “No rush to do it now. Haven’t heard that’s happening yet.”
Fontecchio has played for two teams — the Pistons and Utah Jazz — ever since he kicked off his NBA career in the 2022-23 campaign, and he’s proven to be an effective role player. He’s averaged 7.6 points per game for his career through three seasons and averaged double digits in points for the first time as an NBA player in the 2023-24 season.
Although Fontecchio is an NBA-caliber player, Miami’s success this coming season may not hinge on whether or not he’s on the team, so it makes sense that the Heat are considering waiving him to save some money, especially in today’s NBA where teams are incentivized for penny pinching.
If Skolnick’s comments are any indication, fans of the Heat maybe shouldn’t expect Miami to come to a decision about Fontecchio in the immediate future, but it would be wise to keep an eye out for him in rumors nonetheless. Whether or not he will still be with the team to start the campaign remains to be seen.