There are several players on the Warriors' roster whose future in Golden State is murky, at best. One of them is Nico Mannion.
A late second-round draft pick, the Warriors weren't going to be relying heavily on Mannion this past season, and not in the near future either. But they were looking for him to be a solid part of their rotation and a backup or third option at point guard who could give Steph Curry a rest.
But this season he wasn't. Which makes his future role with the Warriors an even bigger question mark.
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Mannion wasn't in the Warriors' rotation early in the season, which isn't too surprising, so he was sent to the G League bubble in Orlando. His first two games were rough to watch -- he committed 15 turnovers -- but he did improve. And that's why the Warriors recalled him in March.
The 13 games he played from March into April were the biggest stretch of games Mannion played all season. During that month-long span, Mannion averaged seven points, three assists and almost two rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game and displayed the kind of court vision the Warriors want. But his 38 percent field goal shooting left cause for concern.
Mannion was given the opportunity to play larger minutes during that stretch because the Warriors weren't getting enough from Brad Wanamaker, who they ended up unloading at the trade deadline in March.
But, toward the end of the season, Mannion wasn't playing the vacant minutes left by Wanamaker. Instead, the Warriors opted to rely more on Gary Payton II, who was signed to two 10-day contracts before signing a standard contract in May.
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Mannion was relegated back to the bench and asked to learn from there.
If the Warriors decide they need another point guard this summer, they may choose to keep Payton over Mannion as their third option.
The sample Mannion provided in March was enough to show he has the potential to become a backup point guard eventually, but in order for him to do so, he needs to improve his shot and find a team that has the time and room for another development project. The Warriors' aren't in that position right now.