The Detroit Pistons had to revamp parts of their rotation this offseason, presumably more than they intended to before the start of the summer. The unfortunate Malik Beasley saga forced the Pistons to pivot and make additional moves to replace the sharpshooter.
Along with Beasley, veteran backcourt players Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder also signed elsewhere. To make up for the loss of shooting on the perimeter, the Pistons traded for Duncan Robinson from the Miami Heat.
In this trade, the Pistons had to send Simone Fontecchio to Miami, ending the 29-year-old combo forward's tenure in Detroit. While Fontecchio had his moments as a Piston, the fan base in Detroit will not miss him after his departure.
Simone Fontecchio's Absence Will Not Be Felt in Detroit
The reason why the Italian veteran's absence will not be felt in Detroit is the fact that he wasn't able to contribute down the stretch. Even though the Pistons desperately needed more wing depth in the playoffs, Fontecchio wasn't able to provide it. This resulted in Detroit over-relying on Tobias Harris and struggling when he wasn't on the court.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff lost trust in Fontecchio because the 6'8" forward wasn't able to make shots all season. After hitting 40% of his 3-pointers a year prior, Fontecchio only made 33.5% of his attempts from downtown in the 75 regular-season games in the 2024-25 campaign. His below-league-average efficiency of 54.4% True Shooting made it difficult for him to earn minutes.
Considering that his main calling card on offense is his shooting, Fontecchio wasn't able to contribute in other areas, putting additional workload on Cade Cunningham.
On paper, the Pistons didn't replace Fontecchio. Their two offseason additions, Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert, play different positions than the Italian forward. However, the Pistons are hoping to give Ron Holland II and Ausar Thompson larger roles on the wing next season. Additionally, we could see more two-big lineups with Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren both on the floor together. If Bobi Klintman can also take a step forward in his second season, he could also earn some of Fontecchio's regular-season minutes.
The Pistons could still choose to add more depth to the power forward rotation. A shooter who can give the Pistons more floor spacing could do wonders for this team's offensive ceiling. Regardless, Pistons fans will likely not miss Fontecchio's contributions.