Predicting if Simone Fontecchio Has a Role in Jazz's 2023-24 Rotation

Does Simone Fontecchio have a future with the Utah Jazz?

The Utah Jazz entered the 2022-23 season with more questions than answers concerning their reshuffled roster. Although in its first season minus a rostered Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell on the books, Utah's front office now has a clearer picture of what path to take moving forward. 

Jazz GM Justin Zanik addressed this in his postseason press conference.

“We thought that this season would be a journey, a season of discovery,” Zanik said. “We got to find out a lot of different things about our players—things we really needed to know as we try to open up a championship window.”

What about Simone Fontecchio’s future in Salt Lake City? Will there be room in the 2023-24 rotation for Fontecchio, or has his time in Utah already run its course?

Let’s examine.

Fontecchio’s first season with Utah was a mixed bag. Playing time was scarce to open the season, with Fontecchio appearing lost when opportunities did present themselves. In the month of November, Fontecchio only logged nine games averaging 8.6 minutes per contest and 3.7 ppg. Jazz head coach Will Hardy addressed the inconsistent opportunities during the season.

"I think there’s been some variance this year based on being in and out of the rotation and not having a ton of opportunity and some tough breaks here and there with some injuries," Hardy said of Fontecchio. "As he’s getting a rhythm, he hurts his ankle and he’s out for a bit."

Now fast forward to the Russell Westbrook trade that cleared a path for more time on the court. In the month of April, Fontecchio's minutes spiked to 23.5 per game, where he shot an impressive 38.7% from long distance on his way to averaging 11.4 ppg. He wasn’t limited to just a three-point shooter, either. 

Jazz fans witnessed a player shooting off the dribble in the midrange and finishing at the rim in transition. Against the Milwaukee Bucks, Fontecchio scored a career-high of 26 points, with 14 coming inside the three-point line. The first-year player proved he wasn’t a one-trick pony.

Fontecchio shared his up-and-down experience in his first year in the NBA with Eleven Sports.

"When there are some difficulties, the key is to have patience. Since this is my first year in the NBA, I knew that were going to be some difficulties, in addition to that, I also had some bad luck," Fontecchio told Eleven Sports. "First, I got COVID, and then I had an ankle injury. For a while, it looked like every time I had the opportunity to play, something had to happen. But you need to realize that some things are out of your control, make peace with that, and just wait for the next opportunity. My wife and daughter helped me a lot in making this situation more manageable”

Fontecchio has a guaranteed contract of $3.044 million heading into 2023-24. He’s a lock to make the roster, but the Jazz have a tough decision ahead.

Utah could re-sign the Italy-born Fontecchio to another contract, but there would have to be some confidence that there’s room to grow. With what he was able to do on the court post-All-Star break, an argument could be made that he’s not a finished product.

Bottom Line

Cracking next years rotation could be difficult, with Utah having the means to upgrade the forward position in free agency, via trade, or the draft. If Jazz CEO Danny Ainge sees an opportunity to bolster the roster through trade, expect Fontecchio to be a part of the equation due to his expiring contract having appeal to franchises looking to clear cap space in 2024. 

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