Report: Jazz Signing Italian Wing Simone Fontecchio
Jul 17, 2022, 10:45 AM | Updated: 10:45 am
Italian wing Simone Fontecchio drives past former Utah Jazz guard Joe Ingles (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz plan to sign Italian wing Simone Fontecchio according to the European media outlet Eurodevotion.
The EuroLeague affiliate reported the news Sunday as the Jazz prepared to wrap up the summer league in Las Vegas.
“BREAKING – Simone Fontecchio is about to sign a two year deal with the @utahjazz as per our Spanish sources,” Eurodevotion tweeted.
BREAKING – Simone Fontecchio is about to sign a two year deal with the @utahjazz as per our spanish sources. #devotion
— Eurodevotion (@eurodevotion) July 17, 2022
Fontecchio, 26, had been linked to the NBA already this summer and was rumored to have drawn interest from the Los Angeles Lakers before reportedly signing with the Jazz.
The Italian wing stands 6-foot-7 and averaged 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 41 percent from the three-point line last season with Baskonia in Spain.
Fontecchio has also played for Alba Berlin in Germany and has been a regular member of the Italian National Team.
The wing would provide the Jazz with some much-needed depth on the perimeter after trading forward Royce O’Neale to the Brooklyn Nets shortly after free agency opened in early July.
🧐 @simofonte13 🔫#GoazenBaskonia | 💳 https://t.co/muQFViZVKG pic.twitter.com/dUzbtZm9lL
— Baskonia (@Baskonia) July 3, 2022
O’Neale led the Jazz in total minutes played over each of the last two seasons and was one of the team’s top three-point shooting threats.
With Fontecchio, the Jazz roster would at 14 players after the blockbuster trade that sent center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for five players and several future draft picks.
However, much of the Jazz depth sits in the backcourt with Mike Conley, Patrick Beverley, Jared Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Malik Beasley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Leandro Bolmaro, and Jordan Clarkson all on the roster.
Along with Fontecchio, the Jazz have Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gay, Jarred Vanderbilt, Udoka Azubuike, and rookie Walker Kessler in the frontcourt.
The Jazz can carry as many as 15 players on the roster into the regular season plus two players on two-way contracts. The team announced the addition of Johnny Juzang on a two-way contract on Friday.
