ASVEL frontrunner to sign Nico Mannion / News - Basketnews.com

The Italian point guard is expected to leave Baskonia but despite strong interest in him from Italy, Mannion is likely to join Gianmarco Pozzecco and ASVEL to continue his EuroLeague experience.

Credit: IMAGO/Ricardo Larreina Amador - Scanpix Credit IMAGO/Ricardo Larreina Amador - Scanpix

French EuroLeague side LDLC ASVEL Villuerbanne is considered to be the frontrunner to land Italian point guard Nico Mannion, multiple sources have told BasketNews.

Nico Mannion

Team:Baskonia Vitoria-GasteizPosition:PGAge:22Height:188 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Siena, ItalyProfileNewsStatistics

Mannion is expected to part ways with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz soon, sources have told BasketNews.

After the arrival of coach Dusko Ivanovic, Mannion's role inside the rotations has been very limited, and the Italian player did not play in the last EuroLeague game against his former club, Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Mannion is averaging 6.0 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague this season. He joined Baskonia this past summer after spending two years at Virtus.

In the last few days, Mannion has received interest from multiple Italian teams, including BCL team Derthona Basket and Pallacanestro Varese, sources have told BasketNews.

Still, despite the interest from Italy, the player's will is to remain at the EuroLeague level, which is why ASVEL's option is the most intriguing one for the point guard.

The presence of Gianmarco Pozzecco as head coach of ASVEL is one of the main reasons that are leading Mannion to accept the French club's proposal. The two have already worked together with the Italian NT, and they have a great relationship.

ASVEL is looking to bolster its backcourt after the departure of Frank Jackson, who left the team shortly after the arrival of coach Pozzecco and signed a deal in China.

Mannion exploded at the FIBA level during the 2021 Pre-Olympic Tournament in Belgrade, when he helped the Italian NT get a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.

He missed the 2023 FIBA World Cup to fully focus on his conditioning before the beginning of the season, but he's expected to still have an important role inside the national team in the upcoming months.

Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.