The Golden State Warriors continue to make moves as they prepare for another playoff run, especially with the return of Klay Thompson drawing near. The Warriors lost Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets, and now are losing 2020 draft choice Nico Mannion to Italy.
However, there is a possibility that Mannion returns to the Warriors–or the NBA– at some point, according to Marc Stein.
The Warriors, of course, retain Nico Mannion's restricted free agent rights after drafting him with the 48th pick in 2020. Bill Duffy, Mannion's @BDASportsINTL agent, says a return to the NBA is "absolutely" in Mannion's future. The @Italbasket Olympic guard turned 20 in March. https://t.co/YtkyNKZAbT
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 10, 2021
Mannion is headed to Virtus Bologna and will look to play a significant role overseas and polish his game with the hope of returning to the Warriors soon. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Damion Lee make it hard for Mannion to get any run on the NBA squad.
The Dubs also added Chris Chiozza on a deal after he spent time with the Brooklyn Nets, so it gets even more crowded, hence Mannion's timely departure overseas.
The former Arizona Wildcats guard was a second-round choice and spent his rookie campaign between the Warriors and their Santa Cruz G League team. He made 30 appearances in the NBA and averaged 4.1 points in just over 12 minutes per game and will hopefully benefit from a much bigger role in Italy.
Nonetheless, it seems to be only a matter of time before Mannion makes his return to the NBA, especially if he can find success overseas.
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