As Duncan Robinson thanks Heat on way out, Simone Fontecchio excited about his Heat opportunity
The trade between the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons this offseason could very well be remembered for the departure of one of the top three-point shooters in Heat history.
After all, the trade that was agreed to between the Heat and Pistons last week helped facilitate Duncan Robinson’s move from Miami to Detroit as part of a sign-and-trade transaction. Robinson is the franchise leader for the most career three-pointers made by a Heat player.
But Italian forward Simone Fontecchio hopes the trade is remembered for more than just the Heat’s loss of Robinson. Fontecchio, the player Detroit sent to Miami to complete the transaction, intends to make the most of his Heat opportunity.
“I’m in Italy right now, so I was asleep when everything happened,” Fontecchio, 29, said of the trade during a call with South Florida reporters on Tuesday. “It was a little bit late over here. ... But I’m happy. I’m happy with the way everything went down and I’m really excited.”
Fontecchio is known as a quality three-point shooter, making an impressive 40.1% of his shots from behind the arc on 5.1 three-point attempts per game during the 2023-24 season. He’s also a three-point shooter with size like the 6-foot-7 Robinson, as Fontecchio is listed at 6-foot-7 and 209 pounds.
“I watched a lot of Duncan Robinson in the last three years, because I think our skill set is pretty similar,” Fontecchio admitted. “Of course, he’s a tremendous shooter and he did an amazing job all the years in Miami and I was always kind of looking at him, the way he was getting off shots and I always kind of wanted to do the same thing. I think I can try to play like a little bit off handoffs, running off screens, do a little bit of that.”
The Heat has been the victim of Fontecchio’s three-point shooting in the past, as he has averaged 13.4 points per game on 22-of-57 (38.6%) shooting from three-point range in nine games against Miami during his NBA career. That’s the most points Fontecchio has averaged and the most threes he has made against any single NBA team during his career, with three of the eight highest scoring games of his NBA career coming against the Heat.
But Fontecchio’s three-point shooting efficiency dipped to 33.5% on three three-point attempts per game last regular season, as he pointed to a surgery that he underwent on his left big toe in May 2024 as one of the reasons for that regression. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.2 blocks per game in 75 appearances (zero starts) last regular season with the Pistons.
Rediscovering three-point shot will be important for Fontecchio, considering his three-point efficiency will likely determine how much playing time he gets and if he even earns a consistent rotation spot with the Heat this upcoming season.
“Especially last season, it’s been a little up and down for me,” said Fontecchio, who went undrafted in 2017 and broke into the NBA in 2022 with the Utah Jazz after a decade of playing overseas. “I was coming off an injury that was a pretty important surgery on my left foot that I had last summer. So it was a little bit of chasing my best shape all summer and then also during the regular season. So I think I was never my full self.
“But I think I felt pretty comfortable over the last two to three years in the NBA. I worked a lot to feel that way and I’m working even harder right now during this summer. It’s the first summer after a couple years that I didn’t have any problems or injury or stuff like that, and I can really focus on myself, on my health and my skill set. It’s something I was looking for, to work on it. But definitely before, I felt like I belonged in this league and I can do some damage. I’m looking forward to getting back to that form.”
As far as defense, Fontecchio emphasized that he’s “always pretty focused” on improving as a defender.
“The second year I was with the Jazz, I was guarding the best player on the other team probably every time, every game,” said Fontecchio, who plans to play for Italy in the EuroBasket tournament later this offseason. “So it’s something that I take pride on, taking the challenge and trying to do the best I can on the defensive end. And I think my skill set fits right into that, right into the culture and I’ll definitely put more and more focus into that.
But regardless of what Fontecchio does in a Heat jersey, Robinson’s career with the Heat won’t be forgotten anytime soon after developing into one of the organization’s top undrafted success stories.
After going undrafted out of Michigan in 2018, Robinson became the most prolific three-point shooter in Heat history.
Robinson made 1,202 three-pointers while shooting an impressive 39.7% during his seven regular seasons with the Heat. He’s one of only nine NBA players who has made more than 1,000 threes while shooting better than 39% from three-point range since the 2018-19 season, along with Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield, Malik Beasley, CJ McCollum, Paul George, Zach LaVine, Klay Thompson and Gary Trent Jr.
Robinson thanked the Heat and Miami on his way out after his move to the Pistons became official on Monday.
“Man ... It’s hard to put into words what putting on a Heat jersey has meant to me,” Robinson posted on his Instagram account. “As an undrafted 24-year-old just looking for his place, Miami gave me more than that — it gave me a home. From Sioux Falls to Finals runs (plural!), I got to play for an organization and a city that welcomed me with open arms.
“While I’m so proud of the success we had on the court, I’m equally proud of the relationships I’ve built off it. Miami is truly a special place that I will always consider home. Thank you Heat Nation for supporting me and having my back (most of the time). I’ll love this city forever.”
As for the new three-year contract worth $48 million that Robinson signed to join the Pistons, only about $19 million of the $48 million is guaranteed on a deal that could have him back in free agency as soon as next offseason. He’ll be on a fully guaranteed $16.8 million salary for this upcoming season, but then just $2 million of his $16 million salary for the 2026-27 season is guaranteed and his $15.2 salary for the 2027-28 season is fully non-guaranteed.
Meanwhile, Fontecchio is on an expiring contract with an $8.3 million salary for this upcoming season. He’s hoping to become the Heat’s next undrafted success story.
“I always look at this franchise, the Heat, with admiration,” said Fontecchio, who is one of three new faces on the Heat’s current standard roster for next season along with veteran guard Norman Powell and first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis. “The way they let young guys develop, the way they develop young guys and they play multiple undrafted guys and make them big players. I always kind of loved that.
“I think I’m kind of the same player because I wasn’t drafted, I came to the league kind of late. So I think I can fit right into the team, right into the culture.”
