Golden State Warriors clearly expect big things from Nico Mannion

The Golden State Warriors didn’t make the moves many were hoping they would prior to the March 25 trade deadline.

Kelly Oubre Jr. is still on the roster, and the team didn’t do anything to improve their playoff chances. They’ll neither tank or truly compete, so the Dubs will likely stay in limbo and hopefully compete for a playoff spot to at least give some sign of life.

That said, while they didn’t make the moves we may have hoped for, they still did make a few moves. They traded away Brad Wanamaker and Marquese Chriss.

The Golden State Warriors traded Brad Wanamaker, and it looks like that move will allow Nico Mannion to be the permanent backup point guard.

Ever since they came back from a stint with the G-League, Jordan Poole and rookie Nico Mannion have played big-time minutes on the team’s second unit. While Poole has erupted, scoring over 20 points per game in his last eight, Mannion has quietly played well as well.

Mannion was praised as a top-ten prospect coming out of high school. At Arizona, he struggled, and his draft stock tanked which is why the Warriors were able to scoop him up in the second round.

Unlike with Poole when he was a rookie, Mannion wasn’t immediately thrown into the rotation for Golden State. Mannion’s been able to get his feet under him, playing alongside Poole for most of his minutes.

Mannion, since returning, has averaged 6.5 points per game. The best part of his improvement has come from his three-point shooting where he’s averaged over 39 percent shooting. He’s making 1.1 triples per game.

With Wanamaker out of the picture, Mannion will be able to get more time behind Curry. Over these last eight, he’s notched just over 18 minutes per game. Since Curry is out with a tailbone injury, expect Mannion to get 20-plus minutes.

Curry’s return will eat into those minutes, but the Warriors trading Wanamaker is sending a clear signal to the rookie, and it’s that this is his time to shine.

22-23 and currently sitting in the ninth seed in the Western Conference, the Warriors may take a step back from contending for the playoff and focus on developing players like Mannion and James Wiseman.

Next season will be their time to shine, and Mannion needs to prove that he belongs in the league over the next several weeks. The opportunity is there.