The Detroit Pistons lost several key contributors in the offseason. Understandably, most of the attention was given to the losses of Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schröder, but Simone Fontecchio's departure went under the radar. After the first 10 days of the 2025-26 NBA season, however, it looks like Fontecchio's absence could be more important than some of the others'.
With one more season left on his contract, paying him $8.3 million, Fontecchio was traded to the Miami Heat in the deal that brought Duncan Robinson to Detroit. The first five games of the season suggest that this move may have been a big mistake.
Ex-Piston Simone Fontecchio Is Off to a Hot Start
Fontecchio is off to a very hot start in Miami, playing a larger-than-anticipated role. On Thursday, he had his best game of the season, scoring 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three in a season-high 28 minutes of action. For the season, he is averaging 13.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 60.0% shooting from the field and 59.3% from downtown (on an impressive 5.4 attempts per game) in 21.6 minutes per game.
The Italian forward will obviously not continue shooting this way, but this highlights what he is capable of. He is a solid two-way player who can do a little bit of everything. He has the size to guard multiple positions, can make shots, and plays a smart brand of basketball that fits Miami's system. The Heat got off to a great start, and Fontecchio has been a big part of their success.
What makes this a mistake for the Pistons is that they weren't able to replace Fontecchio in the rotation. Yes, they desperately needed more shooting, so going out to acquire Robinson in a trade was understandable. But Fontecchio was the only backup power forward on the roster. He provided size, strength, and three-and-D skillset that the rest of the wing rotation lacks in Detroit. Behind Tobias Harris, the Pistons are relying on the likes of Ron Holland and Javonte Green at power forward. Those two don't have the size or the shooting that Fontecchio brings to the table.
Last year in the playoffs, the Pistons suffered from not having a reliable option when Harris was on the bench. This year, this could be an even bigger problem because there is not enough shooting elsewhere in the rotation, either. Few Pistons fans probably thought that they would be missing Fontecchio of all people, but here we are. Unless Detroit can find more shooting, this will unfortunately continue to be the case.