Second-round pick Nico Mannion has signed a two-way contract with the Warriors, the team announced Friday.
Additionally, the Warriors signed No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to his rookie contract.
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The Athletic's Shams Charania first reported the news of the two-way contract for Mannion, the No. 48 overall pick in the draft.
Two-way contracts function a bit differently this season, as NBC Sports Bay Area's Drew Shiller expertly laid out earlier this month. Once signed to a two-way deal, Mannion could be active for as 50 games with the Warriors this season.
That's the key number for his NBA eligibility, and Golden State no longer needs to worry about him -- or anyone else signed to a two-way deal -- accruing too many practice days and needing to be sent down to the G League. Mannion, conceivably, could practice with the Warriors all season as long as he wasn't active in more than 50 games.
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Mannion stands to benefit from playing big minutes with Santa Cruz in the G League, as his path to NBA playing time appears a bit crowded. The Warriors signed Brad Wanamaker to be Steph Curry's primary backup, and second-year pro Jordan Poole should be in the mix for playing time at the position.
Practicing at an NBA level will help him acclimate to the professional ranks, but so will playing a lot of games in the G League, although the latter's schedule is to be announced. Thanks to the new two-way contract rules, the Warriors can have the best of both worlds. We'll see how they affect Mannion's development sooner rather than later.
