The New Orleans Pelicans are entering offseason number two under the leadership of Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver, with a lot of work to be done. Dumars expressed that he doesn't feel the team is far off from being good and hinted that being a playoff team in 2026-27 is the goal. Obviously, the first step to achieving that comes with naming a new head coach, and it appears they are in the final stages of that process. The next step is pinpointing targets via trade or free agency to fill needs like shooting and size.
One of the most obvious targets set to hit the open market this summer is Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio.
The Italian sniper averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists last season while connecting on 37.5 percent of his threes. Fontecchio is a strong catch-and-shooter and is a very solid movement shooter who could come in day one and help improve the Pelicans' shooting woes.
To this point in the offseason, I've highlighted a few options to improve the three-point margin, but Fontecchio may be the most realistic for two reasons. First, he didn't have an incredible season with the Heat and saw his shot slowly regress as the season progressed. The second, and more important, reason is the connection he shares with New Orleans' general manager, Troy Weaver, from their time together in Detroit.
All signs are pointing to Fontecchio
Despite being 30 years old, Fontecchio has only been in the NBA since 2022, as prior to that, he built a reputation as one of Europe's premier scoring wings. He originally came to the NBA, signing a two-year deal with the Utah Jazz in the summer of 2022. When he entered the second year of that deal, he was dealt to the Pistons at the 2024 trade deadline, who, at the time, were run by Troy Weaver. This was a surprising move at the time, as Detroit was in the midst of a long rebuild and actively tanking, but Weaver saw something he liked in Fontecchio.
The following offseason, Fontecchio signed a two-year $16 million deal to return to the Pistons, which happened to be one of the final moves Weaver made during his time with Detroit.
So now with Weaver in New Orleans, it wouldn't come as a surprise to see him press hard with Dumars to sign his guy this offseason. With the Pelicans finishing in the bottom seven in three-point makes, attempts, and percentage last season, the need for shooters has never been more glaring.
Fontecchio appears to be a strong candidate to be snatched up by the Pelicans in free agency. The combination of his knockdown shooting, his positional size at 6-foot-7, and his connection to Weaver makes him a player fans should get familiar with, as he could very well be playing in the Crescent City next season.
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