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Simone Fontecchio Sends Farewell Message to Detroit Pistons

Simone Fontecchio has a message for the Detroit Pistons after getting traded.
Justin Grasso|
Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (19) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (19) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Simone Fontecchio’s run with the Detroit Pistons has come to an end.

The veteran sharpshooter is set to join the Miami Heat for the 2025-2026 NBA Season. Fontecchio wraps up one and a half seasons with the Pistons.

On Wednesday morning, Fontecchio took to Instagram to send a message to Detroit fans and the Pistons’ organization as he embarks on a new journey.

via simofonte_: 🇺🇸Thank you, Detroit, for this beautiful journey. Thanks to my former teammates, a young and talented group with a bright future ahead. I’m sure great things are coming for you! 🤌🤌🤌
To the management and coaching staff: thank you for helping bring back the energy and culture this franchise deserves 🙌 And to all the Pistons fans, thank you for making me feel at home from day one. You are the heartbeat of Detroit, and I’ll carry your love with me into this new adventure ❤️ #NenMellà

Fontechhio first joined the Pistons during the 2023-2024 NBA season. Ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline, the Utah Jazz sent the Italian sharpshooter to Detroit in return for Kevin Knox and a second-round pick.

For his final 16-game run with the Pistons in 2023-2024, Fontecchio shot 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from three to average 15 points per game. His late-season contributions sold the Pistons on him in the short term. He hit the free agency market as a restricted player when the season concluded.

Fontecchio signed a reported two-year deal, worth $16 million. Despite maintaining a steady role within the Pistons’ rotation in 2024-2025, Fontecchio struggled to live up to last season’s production. He averaged six points on 34 percent shooting from beyond the arc in 75 games.

The Pistons replace Fontecchio with the newly-signed Duncan Robinson, who heads to Michigan after spending his entire career with the Miami Heat.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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