Today, Sunday, Dec. 15, marks the unofficial start of trade season on the NBA calendar. That's because players who signed new contracts over the summer are now eligible to be traded.
As we cross the quarter-mark of the season, some teams will begin to pivot. For those who are sellers between now and the trade deadline, players they signed in the offseason could be available.
The Heat have won four straight games, but that doesn't mean they can't use some reinforcements. While most of the trade buzz surrounding the Heat has to do with whether they plan to sell early on Jimmy Butler, there's plenty of reason for this front office to act as buyers.
This Pistons reserve could be a nice fit in Miami.
If they do, then they should target Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio. If that name sounds familiar, it might be because Fontecchio smoked the Heat in a pair of March contests last season, scoring 46 combined points on 50% shooting, including 50% on 3s.
Fontecchio is averaging 12/7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 18 minutes per game off the bench for a competitive Pistons team, so they likely aren’t actively shopping him. He signed a team-friendly, two-year, $15.9 million deal in the offseason.
But he’s also 29, older than Detroit’s young core. If the Pistons could get a quality asset back, they might think about it. At the very least, the Heat should call.
At 6-foot-8, Fontecchio would provide size and shooting. He’s not the most productive rebounder, but he’s active on the offensive glass. There’s room for improvement defensively.
Fontecchio is making $7.6 million this season, making matching salary a bit tricky. Fortunately, the Pistons have more than $12 million in cap space, so the Heat can send more money back than what they take in.
If the Heat have given up on the Nikola Jovic experiment, he could be an interesting asset for the rebuilding Pistons. The Heat would still have to cobble together more salary, but that could be a starting point.
Trades this season will be difficult to pull off because of the new salary cap structure, but that won’t stop competitive teams like the Heat from calling around and seeing who is available. Whether it’s Fontecchio or someone else, the Heat won’t be solely focused on Butler’s future, especially is there’s a chance to add something that helps the present.