Pistons re-sign veteran wing to two-year deal

The Pistons and free agent wing Simone Fontecchio are in agreement on a two-year, $16M contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Fontecchio, 28, played professionally in Europe from 2012-22 before signing with the Jazz two summers ago. He spent a season-and-a-half in Utah, then was traded to Detroit at this year’s trade deadline.

In 66 total games (43 starts) for the Jazz and Pistons in 2023-24, the Italian wing averaged 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 24.9 minutes per game, with a strong shooting line of .460/.401/.818.

Because he only has two years of NBA experience under his belt, Fontecchio was eligible for restricted free agency, and the Pistons issued him a $5.2M qualifying offer to ensure that he wouldn’t be able to sign with another team without Detroit getting a chance to match.

It didn’t come to that, however, as the Pistons and Fontecchio have worked out a new deal directly, less than a week after the free agent period officially opened.

Fontecchio will provide additional shooting on a team that is prioritizing spacing the floor around rising star guard Cade Cunningham. Detroit has also agreed to sign Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris while acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. in a trade with Dallas.

Fontecchio’s new deal won’t affect the Pistons’ cap room, since his $5.2M cap hold has already been accounted for in the team’s cap projections. Detroit will be able to go over the cap to officially re-sign him using his Early Bird rights.