Napoli Basketball in Italy has poached a former Pelicans and Warriors executive to serve as its general manager under the new ownership group led by U.S. investors Matt Rizzetta and Dan Doyle, Rizzetta confirmed to Front Office Sports.
It’s the latest move in a growing trend of U.S. money pouring into European basketball.
James Laughlin, who most recently served as chief of staff for the New Orleans Pelicans, is Napoli’s new GM. He also previously worked for the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach and video coordinator; he once received public praise from Draymond Green during a Warriors playoff run. The team will hold a press conference in Naples this summer to introduce Laughlin, Rizzetta says.
Napoli is also bringing on John Staudt as head of scouting for North America, a New York native who has been a head coach for multiple teams in Europe, including the Aalborg Vikings of Denmark, who play in the Danish 1st Division.
Basket News first reported the rumor Laughlin was leaving the Pelicans to join Napoli last week.
FOS first reported in April that a group led by Rizzetta and Doyle was buying the team. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed, but a source familiar with the matter now tells FOS the sale’s total valuation—taking into account debt, working capital and other considerations—was between 15 million and 20 million euros ($17 million and $23 million).
The deal closed after the conclusion of the most recent season, which saw Napoli finish 9-21. Their final record was good enough to stave off relegation, meaning Napoli will compete once again in Italy’s top league, Serie A1.
Matt Rizzetta and Dan Doyle, who both graduated from Iona University, bought a majority stake in the team alongside other prominent Iona graduates. Rizzetta hopes the Iona connection will give Napoli a recruiting edge by offering college players a clear path to a pro career in Europe through an alumni-owned team. In the NIL (name, image, and likeness) era, boosters can now offer recruits financial incentives and post-college opportunities without violating NCAA rules.
He also thinks his ownership of Napoli can boost his alma mater’s ability to recruit talented players, as European teams often begin recruiting the next generation of talent as young as 14 and 15 years old—before college.
“We can create a really interesting bridge between the U.S. and Europe by developing players in a major European city that is an appealing destination, with the Amalfi Coast,” he tells FOS. “That was a big impetus behind the decision to do this deal.”
Napoli has rostered former NBA players in the past, including Alex English, Larry O’Bannon, and most recently Kevin Pangos, a former Gonzaga point guard who played in 24 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2021-22 season. Pangos is currently playing for Napoli.
Rumor has it another former NBA player—Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal—may join the Napoli fold in some kind of sponsorship capacity. Rizzetta says his group did recently host O’Neal’s business manager and uncle in Italy and have had talks about a possible role, but he refuted the rumor that there is any agreement, which first sprouted in local Italian newspaper Il Mattino.
The Napoli transaction comes as the NBA eyes expansion into Europe. Commissioner Adam Silver recently said the league is exploring a potential league in Europe with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as partners.
Other teams in major European cities with foreign owners include Paris Basketball, co-owned by former Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn; AS Monaco Basket, which is owned by Russian businessman and commodity trader Alexey Fedorychev; and Pallacanestro Trieste, which includes former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Connor Barin among its ownership.
Rizzetta’s other sports team investments include London-based Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club, which plays in England’s National League; Brooklyn Football Club, which plays in the pro women’s USL Super League; and Campobasso Football Club, which plays in Italy’s third tier Serie C. Hollywood power couple Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are minority investors in Campobasso. His ownership in those teams is through an entity called Club Underdog.
Laughlin could not immediately be reached for comment on his hire. He no longer appears on the Pelicans page listing front office employees. The Pelicans did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
