What the Utah Jazz roster will look like come opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season is still far from being determined — a potential blockbuster trade of Donovan Mitchell continues to hang over the franchise — but according to a report Sunday, there is at least one name Jazz fans can count on suiting up for the franchise next season.
As first reported by Eurodevotion, the Jazz are signing Italian Simone Fontecchio to a two-year contract that will bring the 26-year old Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia forward to the NBA for the first time in his career.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is two years for $6.25 million. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony rates Fontecchio as the best available international prospect at small forward.
The Utah Jazz have agreed on a two-year, $6.25M deal with Italian forward Simone Fontecchio of Baskonia in the Spanish ACB, his agent Sam Goldfeder of @ExcelBasketball tells ESPN. @DraftExpress considers Fontecchio, 26, the best available international small forward prospect.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 17, 2022
Per EuroHoops, Fontecchio’s current three-year deal with Saski Baskonia — part of Liga ACB in Spain and the Euroleague — includes an NBA exit clause that expires this month.
Undrafted in 2017 and listed at 6-foot-8, Fontecchio has averaged 12.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game during his 10-year professional basketball career.
Italy’s Simone Fontecchio celebrates after making three point basket during men’s basketball preliminary round game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Saitama, Japan.
Charlie Neibergall, AP
Fontecchio played for Italian clubs Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, Olimpia Milano, Vanoli Cremona and Pallacanestro Reggiana, as well as German club Alba Berlin, before Saski-Baskonia.
He also represented Italy at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (the Italians lost to France in the quarterfinals, finishing fifth overall).
Last season, Fontecchio averaged 11.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 22 Euroleague games — averaging 26 minutes per contest. He shot 40.2% from 3-point range.