Simone Fontecchio's path to a permanent place in the Miami Heat's 2025-26 rotation starts right now—on the other side of the globe.
The skilled 6'8" swingman will soon be letting it fly for Italy at EuroBasket, and his makes or misses will matter to more than just his national team. Miami could keep a close eye on the proceedings, since Fontecchio might be the most logical replacement for sharpshooter Duncan Robinson. If Fontecchio comes out firing, maybe he builds some momentum he can carry over into training camp and well beyond.
A strong showing at EuroBasket could help make Fontecchio a rotation regular.
Miami's forward rotation won't be the easiest to crack. If the Heat are committed to the Bam Adebayo-Kel'el Ware frontcourt, that probably puts 6'10" X-Factor Nikola Jović into a featured reserve role. Andrew Wiggins, another swing player for the Heat this season, can slide up into the 4 spot, as can third-year swingman Jaime Jaquez Jr., who has a non-zero chance to refinding the form that made him an All-Rookie first-teamer just two seasons back.
Fontecchio will have to earn all the minutes he can get, in other words. And even before that happens, he might have to lock down his roster spot.
While his $8.3 million salary is guaranteed, per Spotrac, not everyone is convinced it will stick on the books. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel recently identified Fontecchio as a "waive-and-stretch" candidate who could help the Heat find a "sweet spot of alleviating the current tax bill, while also not significantly impacting future cap space."
That seems...unnecessary, frankly, but it's still worth noting that there are those who see Fontecchio as less than an essential piece of this puzzle. EuroBasket will be his first opportunity to dispel that notion.
And he's capable of doing it. He wasn't great last season, but he also maybe wasn't healthy. Travel back one season prior, and he was both a double-digit scorer and a 40 percent three-point shooter. He's also a high-motor defender who offers some flexibility on that end.
His best-case version absolutely fits on this roster. His three-ball alone could be hugely helpful in filling the void left by Robinson, assuming, of course, Fontecchio rediscovers his touch.
If he's a quantity-plus-quality perimeter shooter in Miami, then he's probably a part of the nightly rotation. If he's also making his mark as a stingy team defender and a consistent, occasionally ignitable support scorer, then he could be the second or third player off the bench.
None of those roles is guaranteed, though. Admittedly, none of them will become that way based on what happens at EuroBasket, either.
Still, he can give Heat coaches and decision-makers plenty to think about with a starring run overseas.