Simone Fontecchio admits he passed up more lucrative offers to stay with the Miami Heat

Simone Fontecchio admits he passed up more lucrative offers to stay with the Miami Heat originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>With the Miami Heat desperate for perimeter shooting, they got a big-time steal with how they re-signed Simone Fontecchio. On the current roster, he is their best three-point shooter. In the 70 games he played in the 2025-26 season, he shot 37.5% on his 4.7 attempts per game.

>Now that he will be playing alongside Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, he will have more freedom to move off the ball and get more open shots. Considering he is one of the few forwards who can be relied upon to hit shots, the Heat could have struck gold with the veteran minimum deal they got for Fontecchio.

Simone Fontecchio apparently passed up opportunities to stay with the HeatThe modern NBA team needs shooters around their best players to maximize the offense. In this current Heat offense, it is mostly about driving into the paint and finishing at the rim. The two primary options are Adebayo and Antetokounmpo, who are both known to score in the paint or at least from the mid-range area.

>It seems they are well aware of the narrative surrounding their perimeter shooting, which is why they have had a lot of workouts in the past few weeks with their shooting. However, they do have some solutions at home, including Fontecchio, who could be a crucial player moving forward.

>MORE: Bam Adebayo details the reasons why he is not worried about the Heat's apparent shooting struggles

>Fontecchio himself understood this, which is why he stayed with the Heat for at least one more year. Since he grew up in Italy and has played most of his career in Europe, he likely received offers to return to his home continent. However, Fontecchio has chosen not to pass up playing for a good NBA team.

>"My priority was to continue my NBA career. Pat Riley told me he wanted me to stay, and coach Erik Spoelstra made it clear that he really wanted to keep me. I've always felt their trust, even when I fell out of the rotation," Fontecchio said about his decision to stay with the Heat.

>As the 2026-27 season gets closer, more people will recognize that Fontecchio could play a bigger role than most expect. He is their sharpshooter now, and head coach Erik Spoelstra will want to maximize his talents as they compete in the Eastern Conference.

More NBA news:Bam Adebayo leaves out LeBron James from his all-time list and gives the nod to Kevin Durant • >Josh Smith believes Giannis Antetokounmpo has a wonky fit with the Heat • >LeBron James only considered the 76ers after the Jaylen Brown trade • >Bam Adebayo gives his reaction to LeBron James choosing the 76ers over the Heat • >Bobby Portis believes the Heat have the best frontcourt in the NBA