The Los Angeles Lakers enter the 2026 offseason with hopes of building a championship-caliber team around Luka Doncic. That process likely starts with re-upping both LeBron James and Austin Reaves, which could leave LA in a cap crunch throughout the remainder of the offseason. If this becomes the case, Rob Pelinka will need budget-friendly, effective role players who can play in both the regular season and the playoffs. Among this summer's free agents, Simone Fontecchio stands out as a knockdown shooter who could be signed at a discount.
This past season, Fontecchio averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while connecting on 37.5 percent of his 3-point attempts. At 6-foot-7, he would bring plus size to the wing while giving Luka Doncic an elite catch-and-shoot option to hit on drive-and-kick situations.Â
The Lakers could’ve used a shooter of Fontecchio's caliber last season, as, despite having an elite perimeter scorer in Luka, they had the league's seventh-worst three-point percentage.
Simone Fontecchio is a perfect match with Luka Doncic
When you think about the type of players that you’d want to surround Luka with, obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is elite defenders. Whether it’s a rim-protecting five-man or a point of attack defender, those types of players make life easier for an offensive superstar, as it allows them to just focus on being great offensively.
A close second to elite defense when building around a superstar like Luka is three-point shooting.
We saw throughout LeBron's career that he was at his best when surrounded by reliable perimeter threats. Having players that can consistently knock down the three-ball opens up the offense way more for a superstar-level creator like Luka. It limits double-team opportunities, gives them more space to operate, and gives the offense a safety blanket in case he gets blown up on a drive to the basket.Â
One quick pass to the corner and a 3-pointer can save a possession from being a wasted one. Too often last season, Luka would get to the rim, be doubled, and have no one he could really feel full confidence in kicking out to. That’s where Fontecchio’s impact would be felt most.
Think about how many more ball games this Lakers club would’ve won this season if Luka was kicking out to a sniper like Fontecchio instead of Jake LaRavia.Â
Speaking of LaRavia, he’s a prime example of why the Lakers front office needs to focus on players like Fontecchio in free agency this summer. When you look at the collection of role players the 2025-26 Lakers had, they had plenty of well-rounded guys who could do a bit of everything well, but didn’t have one skill they were elite at.
If I asked, ‘What is LaRavia best at?’ the answer would likely be hustle, right? And while that type of high-energy hustle player definitely has its place on this team, they need players who, the second they are mentioned, you know exactly what they’re there to do.Â
When I say the name Simone Fontecchio and attach it to the Lakers, anyone who keeps up with the NBA would know his role would be to help boost LA’s 3-point margin. He’s not a big name, a former top pick, and shouldn’t cost LA a boatload of cash, but he can come in and give the Lakers perimeter scoring a major boost.
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