FanHouse ChrisCohan

The Warriors finally got around Tuesday to doing something they probably should have done back in October.

They announced that executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin wouldn't be returning for 2009-10, and that Larry Riley would be the Warriors' new general manager.

The reality of the situation is that most in the Bay Area and around the league -- Mullin included – knew he was a goner back during the preseason. That's when team president Robert Rowell (pictured, right) made it clear to the media that he and Mullin had had a fundamental disagreement over how to handle Monta Ellis' moped accident.

A few alarmists sounded bells before Monta Ellis rejoined the Warriors post-suspension. Well, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News sounded the bells. Kawakami repeated his opinion that Ellis would eventually come to blows with the franchise over their suspension and their threat to void his contract over that mo-ped accident. Once Ellis returned to the court all smiles and driving lay-ups, Kawakami calmed a bit but still held that Ellis' mood could turn this summer ... if the Warriors didn't have a change of heart first.

Now Kawakami's colleague Marcus Thompson III of the Contra Costa Times reports that Ellis has left the team in protest for a week, and is noticeably discontented in team interactions.