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SALT LAKE CITY — Simone Fontecchio has been one of the surprises of the season for the Utah Jazz, going from a seldom-used role player to a full-time starter.
Now, he'll be playing for Detroit.
The Utah Jazz have sent Fontecchio to the Pistons in a deal a little more than 24 hours before the trade deadline, KSL.com has confirmed.
In return, the Jazz will get a 2024 second-round pick (via the Wizards), the expiring deal of Kevin Knox, and the draft rights to Gabriele Procida, according to ESPN.
Knox has disappointed since being taken with the No. 9 pick in 2018. He's averaged 7.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in just over 18 minutes for the lowly Pistons this season.
Procida is a 21-year-old Italian wing who was taken in the second round during the 2022 draft. He's averaged 8.7 points in 18 minutes in EuroLeague play this season. He was a candidate for the EuroLeague Rising Star award last season.
The second-round pick going to Utah will be the most favorable of either Washington or Memphis's second-round picks in 2024 — and that is the prize of the deal for Utah.
That pick is currently slotted at No. 32 — so the Jazz got a high second-rounder for Fontecchio, who has averaged 8.9 points on 39% 3-point shooting this season while providing solid defense on the wing.
With a young overseas prospect and a high second rounder, the Jazz got good value for Fontecchio, who the team brought over from Italy last season. It's just future value.
The trade signals the Jazz will, once again, be sellers at the deadline — despite their recent success.
Utah has gone 19-10 since Dec. 13, the seventh-best mark in the league and fourth-best record in the West over that time. It's been an impressive run, but one that didn't stop the asset-accumulating deals.
