Detroit, MI
Simone Fontecchio’s Chances of Returning to Detroit Pistons Revealed
As the Detroit Pistons struggled on a nightly basis throughout the 2023-2024 NBA season, it became clear they were likely to sell off veteran players at the trade deadline back in February.
While that was the case for the most part, the Pistons still landed a solid veteran from the Utah Jazz, who could be back for another run beyond last season.
Italy-born forward Simone Fontecchio wrapped up a two-season run with the Jazz in February. Last season, he appeared in 50 games with Utah, averaging nine points on 39 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
At the trade deadline, the Jazz moved Fontecchio to Detroit in exchange for Kevin Knox, a second-round pick, and the rights to Gabriele Procida.
Fontecchio turned out to be a steal for the Pistons, based on his small sample size with the team. Detroit continued to struggle overall, but Fontecchio was a bright spot.
In 16 games, he averaged 30 minutes on the floor and started nine outings. The veteran put up 15 points per game, while shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc.
With the 2023-2024 NBA season in the rearview, Fontecchio enters the offseason as a restricted free agent. He’ll have the opportunity to garner offers from interested suitors. If he signs an offer sheet with another team, the Pistons will be on the clock to match.
What’re the chances Fontecchio returns to Detroit for another run? The Athletic’s James Edwards is under the impression there is a high chance Fontecchio is back in Detroit next year.
“[Fontecchio] has made it very clear that he wants to return to Detroit next season. He enjoys playing with Cunningham, he enjoys the shots he gets playing alongside Cunningham and has told me that he enjoys playing in front of the Pistons’ fan base. If Fontecchio were able to, he’d sign right now, I believe.”
At the end of the 2023-2024 season, Fontecchio battled a toe injury, which recently required surgery. A team-released statement noted that Fontecchio should be good to go for training camp.
While the Pistons can’t guarantee the 28-year-old will be back at this time, it seems another team would have to price out the Pistons, which will be difficult considering they have plenty of cap space to spend this summer.
It’s no secret the Pistons should be looking to make a series of moves as they are coming off of a 14-win season. Allowing Fontecchio to walk should not be one of them.
Surrounding Cade Cunningham with proven shooters should be a priority for Detroit, and Fontecchio has proven he’s the right fit. In 118 career games, Fontecchio has knocked down 38 percent of his threes. He’s an ideal role player for this Detroit team.
Detroit, MI
Police search for suspect, accomplice after teen injured in shooting outside Detroit school gym
The Detroit Police Department is searching for a suspect and an accomplice in connection with a shooting last week that injured a teen outside a school gym.
The shooting happened in the 3400 block of St. Aubin, the same area where the Detroit Edison Public School Academy’s Early College of Excellence is located. Police say that at about 8:27 p.m. on Feb. 27, there was an altercation inside the gym that continued outside.
Police say the suspect allegedly fired multiple shots at the victim, striking him. The teen was taken to a hospital for treatment. His current condition is unknown.
Police say the accomplice who was with the suspect was also armed.
Anyone with information is asked to call DPD’s seventh precinct at 313-596-5740, Crime Stoppers at 800-Speak Up or DetroitRewards.tv.
Detroit, MI
Bruce Campbell announces cancer diagnosis; ‘Fear not,’ he tells fans
Treatment will delay the Royal Oak-born actor’s plans to tour his new film ‘Ernie & Emma’ this summer.
Royal Oak-born movie star and cult hero Bruce Campbell announced on social media on Monday that he has been diagnosed cancer — a type that is “treatable” but not “curable,” he said.
“I apologize if that’s a shock — it was to me too,” the “Evil Dead” star, 67, wrote in a message posted to Instagram.
He went on to say “I’m not gonna go into any more detail,” and he didn’t. He said the public announcement had to do with scaling back appearances on his schedule, including tour dates behind his latest film, “Ernie & Emma.”
Campbell planned to show the movie June 5 at the Redford Theatre; as of Monday night, that date is still on the Redford schedule, but Campbell wrote in his note he plans to get “as well as I possibly can over the summer so that I can tour with my new movie ‘Ernie & Emma’ this fall.”
The movie is written, directed by and stars Campbell as a man who goes on a journey following the death of his wife. Campbell produced the movie alongside his wife, Ida Gearon, and filmed it in Oregon, where he now lives.
Campbell told The News in January he dedicated “Ernie & Emma” to his childhood moviemaking pals, including Scott Spiegel, who died of a heart attack in September 2025.
“It’s a callback to the carefree days of Super 8, where we could do whatever the f–k we wanted to do,” Campbell said of “Ernie & Emma.” “So I thought, ‘All the boys are responsible for this,’ so they’re all in there.”
Campbell got his start making movies around Metro Detroit with his childhood pal, Sam Raimi. Campbell starred in Raimi’s “Evil Dead” trilogy and has since appeared in most of Raimi’s films; Campbell makes a brief appearance in a photograph in the background of an early scene in Raimi’s latest, “Send Help.”
He’s also an author; Campbell’s autobiography “If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor” was published in 2001.
In his post on social media, Campbell thanked fans and said he was not out to elicit sympathy.
“Fear not, I am a tough old son-of-a-bitch and I have great support, so I expect to be around for a while,” he wrote.
agraham@detroitnews.com
Detroit, MI
Michigan State Police sends message to drivers after trooper involved in hit and run:
“Slow down and move over” is the message that Michigan State Police is sending to drivers after one of its troopers in a parked patrol car was struck while investigating a crash this weekend. The driver of that vehicle fled the scene.
Michigan State Police tells CBS News Detroit that we’re two months into the year, and it has had six incidents across the state where patrol cars were struck by oncoming vehicles. One of those incidents occurred on Sunday evening.
“Could have been much more tragic,” said MSP Lieutenant Rene Gonzalez, First District public information officer.
Gonzalez says on Sunday, an MSP trooper was near M-10 and Schaefer Highway in Detroit, simply doing his job, when his patrol car was hit from behind.
“Trooper was out there, and he was investigating a crash when, at the time, a Jeep SUV drove into the rear of the parked vehicle,” Gonzalez said.
The impact slid the trooper’s car into a concrete wall. The 29-year-old Detroit woman driving the Jeep SUV struck the center median, got out of the vehicle, and ran away.
“Not sure why they did it. Maybe not paying attention if they were distracted. They’re attempting to locate her at this time,” said Lt. Gonzalez.
The trooper walked away with minor injuries. Gonzalez says this incident is an example of why Michigan’s Move Over Law was put in place many years ago. The law, which went into effect in 2019, requires drivers to move over into the next lane and reduce their speed by at least 10 mph when emergency or service vehicles — police, fire, rescue, ambulance and road service — have their lights activated.
Drivers who are not able to move over are still required to reduce their speed.
“Trying to do our jobs, however, people are not paying attention. The law is easy. It’s simple. You see us, you see our lights activated, you have to slow down ten miles below the posted speed limit, and then if able, move over to the next occupied available lane,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez says crashes like this can be deadly and often avoided.
“One life lost over something that was a totally preventable crash, it’s way too much. We’re asking that you slow down and move over when you see our lights. It’s a simple message that we’ve been pushing out for years,” he said.
Sunday’s crash remains under investigation. Michigan State Police detectives are still working to track down the 29-year-old suspect.
In the meantime, police are out enforcing the Move Over Law.
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