Nico Mannion Departs Warriors for Italy

The Nico Mannion era in Golden State is being put on hold. Whether this is a permanent end or simply a pause remains to be seen.

Mannion, who was going to be on a two-way contract with the Warriors for this upcoming season, chose instead to sign with Virtus Bologna of the Serie A Basketball League in Italy. To fill his two-way slot, the Warriors have agreed to a deal with point guard Chris Chiozza. That move was reported prior to the announcement of Mannion’s departure.

As I mentioned in an article last week, the Warriors signing any new players could mean that Mannion would be on his way out. However, given the circumstances surrounding this exchange of guards, it doesn’t appear as though Golden State is getting rid of Mannion to sign Chiozza. The Warriors probably knew that Mannion was planning to leave and signed Chiozza to prepare for this. They made Mannion a qualifying offer this offseason, making him a restricted free agent. As long as they continue to make him qualifying offers every year, they will retain his rights should he ever return to the NBA. If he does come back stateside under these circumstances, he will still be a restricted free agent and Golden State can match any offers he might receive from other teams.

This move appears to be a positive for both Mannion and the Warriors. In Mannion’s case, his youth and the Warriors’ large number of ballhandling guards indicated that his playing time in the NBA this season would be limited. As his two-way status suggested, he was probably going to spend most of the season in the G League, where he would get more minutes and development opportunities. So it’s logical that he would prefer to develop in Italy, given his many connections to the country. His mother Gaia is a native Italian, his father Pace spent a large portion of his professional basketball career there, and he was born there. He even played for the Italian national team at this year’s Olympics.

“Nico is going to have a tremendous opportunity to get significant playing time to continue to develop his game,” Mannion’s agent Bill Duffy said. “His full intention is to return to the NBA but [he] first wants to help Virtus Bologna win a EuroCup and Italian League Championship.”

“In my eyes, it was kind of just, where am I going to get better? Where am I going to play the most?” Mannion added. “I personally feel I'm not a two-way player. I feel like I'm a real NBA guy and I deserve a contract. So this is kind of just one of my steps I have to take to get there to prove that.”

On Golden State’s side of the move, it seems that Chiozza fits the current incarnation of the Warriors better than Mannion does. Chiozza played four years at Florida and is best known for hitting a buzzer-beating three to send the Gators to the Elite Eight of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. He went undrafted in 2018 but has played for three NBA teams — the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets — and each of their G League affiliates as well. He is undersized at 5’11” and not exceptionally athletic but makes up for it with his playmaking ability, streaky but solid shooting and tough defense. He doesn’t have a considerable amount of NBA experience — he’s appeared in 57 NBA games to Mannion’s 30 — but his lengthier stints in college and the G League mean that the Warriors are bringing in a more developed player. Given the roster spots already being taking up by projects such as James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga, it makes sense that they would rather not have yet another one in Mannion.

Chiozza appears to be excited for the opportunity, tweeting “Let’s work @warriors” after the news of his signing was announced.

The Warriors have spent the offseason largely looking for ways to add more experience to a roster that can certainly use more of it. Swapping Mannion for Chiozza may not have originally been a part of their master plan, but it nonetheless appears to be a solid move in terms of player development and winning now for both sides.

FeatureAlex HuttonNico Mannion, Warriors, Italy1 Comment