Markel Brown, out for one game?

Apu Udine continues to follow Markel Brown with interest; he is highly regarded by the Friuli-based club’s management. The deal, however, appears to be complex: the American guard has an active contract with Pallacanestro Trieste, and his salary is considered quite high. According to reports in *Il Messaggero Veneto*, it is precisely for these reasons that the chances of him remaining with the Trieste-based club are increasing.

Brown made his Serie A debut in 2022 with Pallacanestro Varese. After a brief stint in Spain with Girona, he returned to Italy to play for Basket Napoli, helping the team win the historic 2024 Coppa Italia. In the summer of that same year, he transferred to Pallacanestro Trieste, where he also became one of the team’s co-captains.

Brown was the undisputed star of the 2024 Coppa Italia Final Eight. In the quarterfinal against Germani Brescia—the regular-season leader and defending champion—he was the one who proved decisive in the final seconds: with ten seconds left on the clock, he stole the ball from Petrucelli and made both free throws to seal the victory at 80–74, finishing the game with 19 points. In the semifinal against Unahotels Reggio Emilia—with Napoli never leading during regulation—he contributed 16 points to the historic comeback that took the Campania-based team to overtime and then to the final, which they won against Olimpia Milano.

On the transfer front, Udine isn’t the only suitor: Pallacanestro Cantù had also been testing the waters for Brown in recent weeks. According to a report by La Prealpina, the Brianza-based club had identified him as the ideal reinforcement for its perimeter lineup, but negotiations became complicated due to his ongoing contract with Trieste and a request for a salary adjustment deemed unsustainable by the club within the framework of the new technical project led by coach Frank Vitucci.