Semaj Christon could be on the verge of a definitive split with Pallacanestro Cantù, Vale Tal Gei reported, after the American point guard was provisionally suspended by Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal following an adverse doping test from the club’s Oct. 11 match against Napoli.
The suspension arrived just hours before Cantù’s derby against Olimpia Milano and does not amount to a definitive ban, but the club is reportedly preparing to move on from the player anyway. The reason is technical: coach Frank Vitucci’s team is still winless after six matchdays and cannot afford to spend a significant part of the season without its starting point guard.
Cantù Preparing to Part Ways Without Waiting for the Tribunal
La Provincia di Como reported that Christon is weighing whether to request analysis of the B sample, a choice that would accelerate the disciplinary process. The substance detected in the test has not yet been made public, and the suspension remains a precautionary measure rather than a final ruling.
"La società Pallacanestro Cantù comunica di aver ricevuto, in data odierna, comunicazione dell’esito avverso al controllo antidoping effettuato nei confronti dell’atleta Semaj Christon dopo la gara dell’11 ottobre scorso contro Napoli e della conseguente sospensione cautelare del… https://t.co/dtOO7zKvvN”
That distinction matters to Cantù. Waiting for the full timeline of Italy’s sports justice system would leave the roster short at the most demanding position on the floor, so the club has decided to plan for life without him.
Erick Green and Chris Horton Among the Market Targets
The Christon emergency is reshaping Cantù’s market strategy at a moment when the club was already searching for reinforcements to turn around a difficult start to the season. One of the main targets remains Erick Green, the guard who was central to Cantù’s survival last season with averages of 14.8 points, 2.4 assists and 2 rebounds per game.
🚨 SOSPENSIONE SEMAJ CHRISTON Il controllo risale al match dell'11 ottobre con Napoli Basket. Così Pallacanestro Cantù: «La società si riserva ogni valutazione e provvedimento non appena avrà a disposizione tutti gli elementi necessari per fare chiarezza sull’episodio e resta a… https://t.co/zOz9ZRtDMs
Green, now with Reyer Venezia, could leave soon thanks to an exit clause in his contract. Cantù has reportedly put a significant financial offer on the table to bring him back, also banking on a possible tactical reshuffle by Venezia after the imminent return of Sir’Jabari Rice.
A possible Green return would not be the only move under study. Cantù is also looking for an experienced big man, and Chris Horton has emerged as a profile of interest, La Nuova reported. The American center, born in 1994, knows the Italian league well from his spells with Trapani and Reyer Venezia before moving to Aliaga Petkimspor in Turkey this summer.
Ownership has already guaranteed an extra budget to act on the market, but general manager Simone Giofrè, speaking after the derby against Milano, reiterated that the club wants only players capable of genuinely improving the team. Time, though, is pressing: Cantù needs to find a solution quickly to try to reverse a season that began in the worst possible way.
Giofrè Moving Toward a Seat on the Board
While the market operations remain blocked pending the Christon situation, movement is also happening at the corporate level inside the club. General manager Simone Giofrè is reportedly heading toward a place on Cantù’s board of directors, the latest development in the club’s reshuffle off the court.
No replacement for Christon has been announced, and the timeline of the anti-doping proceedings remains unpublished, leaving Cantù’s search for a new point guard the open question as the season’s seventh matchday approaches.
Worth a look
