Cantù: Erick Green Isn’t Enough—All Eyes on the Former Trapani and Venice Center
Pallacanestro Cantù continues to be active on the transfer market in search of reinforcements for its roster. In addition to the possibility of Erick Green’s return, the Brianza-based management is reportedly also considering signing an experienced big man. According to a report in *La Nuova*, one of the names on the club’s radar is Chris Horton, a U.S. center born in 1994 who has already made his mark in the Italian league while playing for Trapani and Reyer Venezia. The player moved to Turkey last summer, where he currently plays for Aliaga Petkimspor.
Born in Decatur, Georgia, Horton is a 203-centimeter, 102-kilo center who came up through Austin Peay State University. Athletic and energetic, he is known for his strong defensive presence and his ability to make an impact on the boards and in help defense. In Europe, he has played for Alba Fehérvár (Hungary), GS Kymis (Greece), Cholet, Gravelines, and Nanterre (France), Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel), and Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia), before moving to Sicily, where he stayed for two seasons.
His performance in Trapani was top-notch. In his final season in Sicily, he averaged 9.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and a 16.1 efficiency rating, leading the team to the championship semifinals, where he averaged 12.7 points and 7.8 rebounds. In April, he was also named LBA Player of the Month, averaging 15.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and a 23.5 efficiency rating. Thanks to those numbers, he was signed by Umana Reyer Venezia in the summer of 2025.
In Venice, under coach Neven Spahija, Horton was introduced alongside Stefan Nikolic and explained that he had chosen the orange-and-gold team because of the club’s recent history and the great respect it commands. During the 2025–26 season, he returned to the United States for a few days between January and February for personal reasons, with the club’s permission. He then returned in time for the road game in Naples, where in February he posted 15 points and 7 rebounds in 24 minutes in the Lagunari’s 79-64 victory.
For Cantù, the potential arrival of an experienced big man would come at a very delicate time. Coach Frank Vitucci’s team, bolstered in recent days by the arrival of Osvaldas Olisevicius, remains winless with zero points after six losses in as many games, the latest of which came in the 175th derby against Olimpia Milano in Desio. Also weighing on the transfer market is the case of Semaj Christon, who has been provisionally suspended following an adverse result from a doping test conducted after the October 11 game against Napoli. Meanwhile, management will have to deal with the November 19 deadline, the date by which Green and Reyer can exercise the buyout clause in his contract.
