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Gianluca Pascucci, the Nets Director of Global Scouting — and the man credited with finding and pushing Rodions Kurucs— is leaving for an assistant GM job in Minnesota.
He’ll join newly hired Gersson Rosas. As Adrian Wojnarowski reports, Pascucci and Rosas worked together in Houston under Daryl Morey.
Minnesota is hiring Brooklyn’s Gianluca Pascucci has an assistant GM, league sources tell ESPN. Pascucci was the Nets Director of Global Scouting and had previously worked closely with new Timberwolves President Gersson Rosas with Houston.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 20, 2019
Pascucci, who grew up in Italian basketball, is the latest in what’s becoming a long line of Nets staffers who’ve departed Brooklyn for bigger jobs.
Among those who’ve left or are leaving:
—Will Weaver, the Long Island Nets Head Coach —and G League coach of the year— who’s taken a job as Head Coach of the Sydney Kings in the Australian League;
—Chris Fleming, long time assistant coach and architect of the Nets offense, who’s becoming lead assistant in Chicago;
—-Trajan Langdon, the Nets Assistant GM, was announced Sunday as the new General Manager of the Pelicans. He’ll report to David Griffin, the Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. Like Pascucci and Rosas, the two had previously worked together in Cleveland.
Howard Beck of Bleacher Report suggests the exodus is a positive sign.
Trajan Langdon to NOLA. Pascucci to Minnesota. Nets front office getting raided. That's as great a compliment as a franchise can get from rival teams. https://t.co/wtKwC6eFKL
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) May 20, 2019
Pascucci was one of Marks first hires, joining Brooklyn in August 2016. Rumors out of Italy earlier this month had Pascucci becoming GM of Olimpia Milano or replacing Langdon if he left Brooklyn. Kenny Atkinson credits Pascucci with scouting and pushing Kurucs,
He was director of player personnel for the Rockets prior to the Nets hiring him in 2016.
- Nets lose Pascucci, who discovered Kurucs, as poaching gets worse - Brian Lewis - New York Post