After playing for Italy in the Tokyo Olympics, former Arizona guard Nico Mannion will head back to his birth country and reportedly play for Virtus Bologna in Serie A next season.
Mannion, the 48th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, split last season between the Warriors and their G League affiliate. The San Jose Mercury News said the Warriors will retain NBA rights to Mannion because they extended a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, and that the multiyear contract has exit clauses should he develop enough to return to the Warriors.
Mannion spent one season (2019-20) with the Wildcats, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 assists and and 1.2 steals per game. He averaged 4.1 points, 2.3 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 30 NBA games last season.
Mannion was born in Siena, Italy, but raised mostly in the Phoenix area and graduated from Pinnacle High School. His father, Pace, played in the NBA and Italy, while his mother, Gaia, was a professional volleyball player in Italy.
