The Eurobasket Star That Miami Heat Almost Traded
According to Marc Stein, the Florida franchise came very close to moving Simone Fontecchio in the NBA market.
Looking ahead to the 2025/26 season of the NBA, Miami Heat will no longer have Haywood Highsmith. The player was traded this summer to the Brooklyn Nets, with the goal of helping the Florida franchise avoid the luxury tax. However, the initial choice had not been him, but Simone Fontecchio, who is standing out in the Eurobasket 2025.
This was reported by the NBA Rumors journalist, Marc Stein, in The Stein Line. The Florida franchise seriously considered the possibility of trading Simone Fontecchio to reduce their tax burden and avoid the always uncomfortable luxury tax in the league.
However, instead of parting ways with the Italian, the executives chose to send Highsmith to the Nets, a move that allowed Miami to refresh its accounts without giving up one of the players who had garnered the most interest in the market.
Fontecchio's presence in the Heat is relatively recent. The forward landed in Miami as part of the exchange that sent Duncan Robinson to the Detroit Pistons during the preseason. While Robinson had been a symbol of the team's outside shooting, Fontecchio brought a different profile: a less flashy player but with the ability to make an impact on both offense and defense.
A High-Level Eurobasket 2025
The doubts that Miami may have had contrast with the current reality. Fontecchio is becoming one of the standout stars of the EuroBasket 2025. Last weekend, he delivered one of the most impressive performances of the tournament: 39 points against Bosnia, with a devastating stat line: 13 for 20 from the field and 7 three-pointers made.
In hindsight, Miami Heat seems to have made the right move in resisting the temptation to part ways with Fontecchio. If he can maintain his brilliant level from the EuroBasket in the NBA, considering he also didn't shine with the Pistons, he could become a key piece in Erik Spoelstra's plans.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La estrella del Eurobasket que Miami Heat estuvo a punto de traspasar
