James Laughlin is leaving the New Orleans Pelicans to become the new GM of Napoli Basket, recently acquired by American-Italian investor Matt Rizzetta. With NBA championship experience and a leadership role in New Orleans, Laughlin arrives as Napoli undergoes major structural changes.
James Laughlin is leaving the New Orleans Pelicans front office to take over as the new general manager of Napoli Basket, BasketNews sources confirmed.
The Italian club was recently acquired by American-Italian investor Matt Rizzetta, signaling a new era for the organization.
Laughlin brings a strong NBA pedigree to Europe. He spent five years on the Golden State Warriors’ coaching staff, contributing to two championship runs under Steve Kerr.
Recently, he served as Chief of Staff to the coaching team in New Orleans, where he spent the past four seasons.
Laughlin received public praise from Draymond Green in 2019, who credited him with inspiring a key playoff performance during the Warriors’ postseason campaign.
Napoli is undergoing a major structural overhaul after finishing 14th in the Italian league this season.
The team featured several recognizable names during the campaign, including Kevin Pangos, Jacob Pullen, Errick Green, Ben Bentil, and Tomislav Zubcic.
Donatas Urbonas
Donatas Urbonas is an award-winning Lithuanian basketball journalist, recognized as the best sports journalist in Lithuania in 2016 and the top basketball journalist in 2018. A Vilnius University journalism graduate, Urbonas has reported on major global sports events, including the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Olympics, FIBA World Cups, EuroBaskets, NBA Summer League, and NBA Draft.
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