The Detroit Pistons are no longer one of the NBA's bottom feeders. After far too many years, the Motor City was able to enjoy playoff basketball again, and these young Pistons did the city proud with their effort against the New York Knicks, pushing the Eastern Conference finalist to the limit.
Now, the Pistons are looking forward to the offseason as the front office looks to continue to build a roster around former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham that will make Detroit a mainstay in the postseason once again. To do that, though, the Pistons will have to make some shrewd decisions regarding what players currently on the roster fit in with the plans for the future and which can be shown the door.
While there is no telling what Trajan Langdon will do in his first offseason as Detroit's GM, moving on from one veteran whose contract doesn't match up to his contributions on the floor should be among the top priorities.
Pistons Forward Simone Fontecchio Robbed Detroit Blind This Season
The Pistons acquired Simone Fontecchio from the Utah Jazz at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for Kevin Knox and future draft capital. Shortly after arriving in Detroit, the Italian forward was forced to undergo a surgical procedure on his left big toe, which sidelined him for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign.
Fontecchio went on to sign a two-year, $16 million contract with the Pistons that offseason. Unfortunately, the role he played on this year's playoff team in Detroit does not match up with the salary he was paid. Fontecchio earned just under $7.7 million this past campaign, but his usage (16.5 minutes) and per-game averages (5.9 PPG) were not on par with the contract he'd signed.
With Fontecchio's cap number rising to $8.3 million for the 2025-26 campaign, and his role on the roster likely to remain unchanged, the time is now for Langdon and the Pistons to find a new home for the soon-to-be 30-year-old.
Exactly how Langdon will do that is anyone's guess at this time. Detroit should be active in trade talks this offseason, though, so there should be opportunities available to include Fontecchio's contract in any potential deals.