The Miami Heat are retaining one of their key reserve wings, with NBA insider Shams Charania reporting Tuesday that free agent Simone Fontecchio intends to sign a one-year contract to return to the franchise.
Fontecchio provided reliable floor spacing for the Heat in 2025-26, averaging 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 70 games while shooting 41.2% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. He made 1.8 three-pointers per game despite playing just 16.8 minutes per night, giving Miami efficient scoring off the bench.
The 30-year-old also continued one of the defining trends of his NBA career: dependable perimeter shooting. Across four NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Heat, Fontecchio owns career averages of 7.8 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc.
His best offensive season came in 2023-24, when he averaged 10.5 points overall and posted 15.4 points per game after being traded from Utah to Detroit, shooting an impressive 42.6% from three with the Pistons.
Miami’s decision to bring him back comes during a dramatic offseason reshaping of the roster. The Heat made a blockbuster trade that will officially bring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami, sending Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and multiple draft assets to the Milwaukee Bucks.
That trade significantly changes Miami’s rotation and places an even greater premium on surrounding Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo with consistent outside shooting. Fontecchio’s ability to space the floor fits that objective. Last season, he converted 37.5% of his 4.7 three-point attempts per game while posting a solid 54.2% effective field-goal percentage.
The Heat finished the 2025-26 regular season 43-39, earning the Eastern Conference’s final Play-In Tournament spot before entering an offseason focused on upgrading the roster.
