Nico Mannion had a great showing for the Italian National Basketball Team in the Olympics, leaving many Golden State Warriors fans to wonder if he could make a bigger impact next season.
Unfortunately for Warriors fans, those questions will now go unanswered as Mannion has opted to leave the NBA and sign a deal with Virtus Bologna in Italy, according to ESPN’s Jordan Schultz.
The Warriors drafted Mannion in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft out of the University of Arizona. Mannion played 30 games for the Warriors last season, splitting his time between the NBA and the G League, and averaged 12.1 minutes and 4.1 points per game.
In the Olympics, Mannion showed why he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Mannion finished the Olympics averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 assists in his four Olympic games.
In the Olympic Qualifiers, Mannion was even more dynamic, dropping 17.5 points and 4.0 assists per game on a strong 48.4 percent shooting from the field.
Mannion will now join Virtus Bologna in the Italian Serie A basketball league, linking up with former NBA players Milos Teodosic and Kevin Hervey. However, if Mannion opts to return to the NBA after his time in Italy, the Warriors will still hold his restricted free agent rights.
To fill Mannion’s gap on the roster, the Warriors reportedly signed former Brooklyn Nets guard Chris Chiozza.
