Simone Fontecchio talks about his future, hopes to re-sign with Miami
An important summer lies ahead for Simone Fontecchio, who for the first time in his NBA career finds himself an unrestricted free agent. With his contract with the Miami Heat expired, the star of the Italian national team is looking for a new deal to remain in the United States and postpone a potential return to Europe after proving he belongs in the NBA.
In the 2025/26 season, Fontecchio averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in just 16.8 minutes per game, while shooting 38% from three-point range. Speaking to Sky about his future, he said:
“I’ll be a free agent starting June 30, and from that point on I hope to find a place for next season. As I’ve said several times already, I would love to stay in Miami, where I felt very comfortable and where my family also had a great experience. For me, it would be important to build continuity after this past year. But we’ll see.
As for the national team, I’m fully available for the second qualifying window at the end of August, which represents another step toward the World Cup — a tournament we absolutely want to qualify for, even if it won’t be easy.”
In August, the Italian national team will train in Alpe Cimbra, in Folgaria, from August 10 to 20 to prepare for the second part of the Azzurri’s summer schedule. The official commitments will depend on the outcome of the final two games of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying window (July 2 in Iceland and July 5 against Lithuania at the Virtus Arena in Bologna).
Should Italy, currently first in Group D, qualify for the second phase, they would play on August 28 away from home and on August 31 at home against opponents yet to be determined (crossing over with Group C, which includes Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Switzerland).
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