Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion is signing with Baskonia in Spain, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets, calling it a done deal. Mannion played the last two seasons in his home country of Italy with Virtus Segafredo Bologna. He played 30 games with Golden State during the 2020/21 season after being drafted in the second round.
Because the Warriors issued a two-way qualifying offer to Mannion in 2021 and again in 2022, they still control his RFA rights in the event that he decides to return to the NBA. That would change if they decide not to extend that QO this year or in a future season.
We have more news from around the basketball world:
- Good news for restricted free agents in future seasons — there’s a 10% increase in qualifying offers that teams must make to those players or else they become unrestricted. However, according to Mike Vornukov of The Athletic (Twitter link), it doesn’t apply to restricted free agents this summer — instead, the stipulation in the new CBA begins with this year’s rookie class. In another tweak, offer sheets for future restricted free agents will have a new deadline. If a team that has to make a decision on whether to match an offer sheet receives it before noon ET, that team has until 11:59 p.m. ET the next day to match. If it’s received after 12 p.m. ET, that team has until 11:59 pm ET two days later.
- Now that the 2023 draft is behind us, what might the 2024 draft look like? ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo provide an early glimpse of next year’s draft class, doing a mock draft that includes both rounds. They predict G League Ignite guards Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis will be the first players off the board.
- With the Lakers drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino, it may decrease the possibility they will try to re-sign free agent D’Angelo Russell, Cydney Henderson of USA Today writes. Gordon Hayward‘s future with the Hornets is very much in doubt with the addition of forward and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller, Henderson also notes.
Would the Lakers trade DLo for Hayward?
Should the Lakers let DLo walk for nothing?
Los Angeles Lakers got so many questions this offseason it’s crazy. I love the way they handled themselves with the NBA Draft. To get Jalen Hood-Schifino in the first round and Maxwell Lewis in the second round was absolutely beautiful. I’ll grade that a B+ easy. Now we need LeBron James back this season and will love to just see him finish his career in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. Anthony Davis needs to comeback in tip top shape and healthy and ready to dominate this upcoming season. We need him healthy and in the discussion for M.V.P. and Defensive Player of the Year next season. Then they need to bring back both restricted free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Dennis Schroder is somebody we need to bring back as well. He fits Darvin Ham system perfectly and Jarred Vanderbilt is somebody we need to bring back as well. It’s a chance we might lose Lonnie Walker IV Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba. It’s also a possibility we lose D’Angelo Russell. I would like to see us bring him back on a two year deal with a team option after year one. Let them have a offseason and training camp together and see how the pieces fit. Gives JHS time to develop. With the Los Angeles Lakers making the Western Conference Finals but getting swept it means we need to improve. I think we can do that internally. But we might need to make a trade around the margins. Jalen Hood-Schifino Maxwell Lewis and Max Christie all going to be solid two way players but they need time to develop. Darvin Ham having another year of coaching under him will help with X’s and O’s. Plays out of timeouts, Rotations, and implementing more of his fingerprints on the team. Being more consistent with his lineups and rotations. You can’t keep changing the starting lineup and rotation and think you going to build like that. He did a solid job in his first year for a first year head coach and I think he got his players coaches and organization believing in him. That’s very important and what I think can do wonders for the Los Angeles Lakers is build some cohesion and chemistry. Both internally and in the locker room on the court on offense and defense.
Agreed Champ, loved the draft, loved the patience by the FO (something not always there) ; was really really scared we were gonna see a Trent Jr for Beas/17 trade
Max and Castleton look intriguing as well
But Champ, what happens when GM James demands the front office trade the new guys and every first round draft pick the Lakers ever have for the rights to Wade and Bosh? Maybe throw in a stabilizer like Kyrie.
Maxwell Lewis is an A+ pick.
Jalen Hood-Schifino is a C- pick.
Too many of these kids are peaking in high school playing weaker competition and get hype from these hoop mixtapes and fold once they face better players.
Russell seems lost out there. It’s all about the Bron window in LA. The only thing I can see is a sign-n-trade for Russ. But who would want him. It’s clear he’s not about winning. For what Washington got for Beal. I would think the Lakers could have made a better offer.