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Simone Fontecchio Rumors
The Italian wing revealed in the interview that after he arrived in Detroit, he received an unexpected sign of respect from one of the best players in the league, Kevin Durant. "I was just got traded to the Pistons, and one of the first few games that I played with Detroit was against Phoenix, where Kevin Durant was playing at that time", Fontecchio explained. "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". It was a great show of respect from a champion of the game and it made me realize how much he thought of me".
Anthony Chiang: During an ongoing conference call with reporters, Heat newcomer Simone Fontecchio said he plans to play for Italy in the EuroBasket tournament later this offseason. Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson also expected to play in the event.
Yossi Gozlan: Miami Heat have a full 15 man roster by sign and trading Duncan Robinson for Simone Fontecchio. They are $5.5 million below the luxury tax and now hard capped to the $207.8 million second apron. They also create a $6.9 million trade exception.
Ira Winderman: Heat getting back Simone Fontecchio in Robinson deal, taking back one year at $8.3 million in salary, NBA source confirms to Sun Sentinel. Such was part of the agreement that allowed the Heat to reduce what otherwise would have been $10M due to Robinson. So net cap/tax/apron saving.
Jake Fischer: These were the two sign-and-trade scenarios Detroit had on the table last night. Moving Fontecchio’s $8.3M allows the Pistons to give Robinson his $16M AAV over a three-year deal.
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Pistons gauging trade market on forward Simone Fontecchio
The Detroit Pistons are gauging the trade market on forward Simone Fontecchio, who’s on an expiring $8.3 million deal, league sources told HoopsHype. With Malik Beasley’s gambling investigation, the Sacramento Kings expected to pursue Dennis Schroeder in free agency strongly, the possibility Detroit loses Tim Hardaway Jr., and a Fontecchio salary dump trade happens, the Pistons could create $24 million in space to pursue Nickeil Alexander-Walker and other free agents.
It will be the first playoff experience for everyone else in J.B. Bickerstaff’s normal rotation – Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II, Isaiah Stewart and Simone Fontecchio. The Pistons privately talked about getting to the playoffs long before anyone thought it possible and they’ve adopted a one-day-at-a-time focus with the long-term goal of having it pay off in a playoff berth. But Bickerstaff knows enough about playoff basketball to know that no matter how long and hard his young players have thought about the experience, they won’t truly appreciate the essence until wading into the waters. “It’s a completely different basketball game,” he said. “And until you’re in it, it’s hard to understand it. We’ve been through this before. At some point in time, we were all kids and didn’t listen to our parents, either, and didn’t figure it out until we experienced it on our own. That’s what the playoffs are. We can tell guys what to expect, but until we experience it you don’t understand just how different it is from an intensity standpoint, from the execution of schemes, the importance of possession-by-possession basketball.”
Law Murray: The Pistons report that Simone Fontecchio is questionable due to a shooting hand finger dislocation. Sounds painful. Jaden Ivey remains out. Two-ways and rookie Bobi Klintman in the G. Clippers will see starting lineup of Cunningham, Hardaway Jr., Thompson, Harris, Duren.
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Knicks preference is to keep Mitchell Robinson when healthy?
Isaiah Stewart (Detroit), Kelly Olynyk (Toronto), Jonas Valanciunas (Washington), Chris Boucher (Toronto), Simone Fontecchio (Detroit), Robert Williams III (Portland), Matisse Thybulle (Portland). Robinson, at full strength, is better than all these options (and some we inevitably failed to mention), which is why league sources believe New York’s preference is Robinson returns healthy.
Malik Beasley scores 23 as Pistons remain undefeated in 2025
Keith Langlois: FINAL: Pistons 113, Nets 98 Pistons go to 5-0 in 2025 and are over .500 at 19-18. They got 50 points off their bench - and, more important, enough minutes so that they'll go into Thursday's game with Golden State fairly fresh. Malik Beasley 23, Simone Fontecchio 17, Marcus Sasser 15.
Pistons will miss three rotation players against Milwaukee
Jim Owczarski: Jaden Ivey (18.6 ppg), Tim Hardaway Jr. (12.5 ppg, 45.7% three-point shooter) and Simone Fontecchio (19 bench minutes per game) are all OUT for the #Pistons tonight vs. the #Bucks. No Ivey is a plus for Milwaukee, as defending explosive guards remains a problem.
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