MAY 30: The Timberwolves have issued a press release officially confirming the hiring of Pascucci, who will lead the team’s personnel efforts and be fully involved with all player personnel matters, according to the announcement.
“I’m excited to bring Gianluca Pascucci to the Timberwolves as our assistant general manager,” Rosas said in a statement. “I’ve seen firsthand his drive, passion and knowledge of the game. Gianluca offers a diverse perspective from his time as an executive overseas and his experience on multiple professional platforms.
“He will bring a global perspective on how we will build our team and his experience with developmental programs will be a big asset as we look to fully maximize the Iowa Wolves as a natural extension of the Timberwolves. He will be a phenomenal asset to our franchise and another great partner as we build a world-class organization.”
MAY 20: In addition to making the decision to retain Ryan Saunders as their permanent head coach, the Timberwolves have reached an agreement to hire Nets executive Gianluca Pascucci, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Pascucci will serve as an assistant GM under new head of basketball operations Gersson Rosas in Minnesota.
Pascucci, who held the position of director of global scouting in Brooklyn’s front office, had been viewed as a candidate for a promotion after the Nets lost assistant GM Trajan Langdon to the Pelicans. Instead, he’ll reunite with Rosas, with whom he worked in the Rockets’ front office before he joined the Nets in 2016.
While it looks like a solid hire for the Timberwolves, it’s another blow to the Nets’ front office. In addition to having lost Langdon and Pascucci, Brooklyn has also seen coaches Chris Fleming and Will Weaver leave the organization this spring, so the club will have plenty of holes to fill in both the front office and coaching staff.
Pascucci reportedly received consideration for a position with Italian and EuroLeague club Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano before agreeing to take a job with the Wolves.
If I ever can learn to pronounce or spell the front offices’ names I’ll be a scrabble/boggle champion!!!!!!!!!!
Someone the other day mentioned that it would be nice to have a note that tells us how to pronounce their names. Definitely not a bad idea.
As long as they don’t tell us the pronunciation in that weird language dictionaries use that nobody understands. You have to go online and tap the megaphone to get an audible voice to find out.