MIAMI — Amid a Miami Heat offseason of shooters gained, Simone Fontecchio has reminded about a shooter retained.

Even before the Heat added Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson, Fontecchio put himself at the front of the line of those eager to provide outside support for prime offseason addition Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Now, as he prepares to lead Italy into World Cup qualifying over the next few days, the 30-year-old veteran reaffirmed that his free-agency commitment to return to the Heat was sealed by the way he was treated by the organization during last season’s initial run with the team.

“We didn’t even consider returning to Europe this summer,” Fontecchio told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “We didn’t look for any offers. When this opportunity in Miami came up, I just accepted.”

Fontecchio was acquired from the Detroit Pistons in the 2025 offseason trade that sent out Duncan Robinson, a move made primarily to offload Robinson’s contract.

Fontecchio then thrived early during his Heat tenure, before his 3-point stroke went south.

Through it all, he praised his treatment by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and appreciated his new surroundings.

“I’m happy that my family can stay in the same place for two years in a row, the place where I want to be, and I feel wanted and appreciated,” said Fontecchio, whose NBA career began in 2022 with the Utah Jazz, after extensive time professionally in Europe.

Fontecchio, who took a one-year deal at the NBA’s veteran minimum, is one of three Heat players representing their countries during the current European qualifying round for next summer’s World Cup.

In addition to Fontecchio representing Italy, Nikola Jovic is back with the Serbian national team and Pelle Larsson is playing for Sweden. Each player has two games scheduled over this qualifying window that run through Monday. Included in the schedule is a matchup of Fontecchio and Italy against Jovic and Serbia on Monday in Pesaro, Italy.

The scheduling then leaves the Heat’s European participants ample time before the team opens training camp Sept. 29, with the Heat’s preseason schedule to open Oct. 3 and regular season to start Oct. 21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kaseya Center.

Antetokounmpo is bypassing this latest World Cup qualifying round for Greece but has indicated a desire to play in next summer’s World Cup in Qatar, which would pit him against Spoelstra, who will coach Team USA, having taken over in that role from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

For Fontecchio, who remained an upbeat presence even when out of the Heat rotation last season, it remains a case of living in the moment, even with just the one year on this latest Heat deal.

“I’m just trying to enjoy what’s ahead of me: these two international matches, followed by a super exciting year professionally,” he said, scheduled with Italy to play an away game Friday against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Mejdan, Tuzla.

The Heat’s agreement with Fontecchio was for the veteran minimum, a deal that will pay him $2.6 million, but count only $2.5 million against the salary cap, luxury tax and tax aprons. He earned $8.3 million last season on the second year of a two-year contract he signed with the Detroit Pistons.

With Hardaway and Thompson added after his commitment was made to return, Fontecchio nonetheless sees possibilities for a better run in his second Heat season, after the Heat failed to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years last season.

“The club’s decisions were clear from the start, making a major move to acquire a Hall of Famer like Antetokounmpo,” Fontecchio said, with the Heat this offseason losing the outside shooting of Tyler Herro and Norman Powell. “I saw an opportunity to play for a team with real championship ambitions. It was an opportunity for me, for the organization, for the city, and for the team to try and achieve something bigger.

“I’m very excited and curious to meet him and see what it’s like to play with him. The fact that they really wanted me even before free agency reassured me and made me even more inclined to stay.”

Fontecchio appeared in 70 games last season with the Heat, starting nine. In an average of 16.8 minutes per game, he averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists, shooting .412 overall from the field, but .375 on 3-pointers. Now less action personally could mean more for the Heat.

“We have completely different roles, so I would be more of a complementary player, and that’s only a positive for me,” Fontecchio said. “A player like Giannis needs plenty of shooters around him, so I think I can be useful.”