Destination confirmed! Hezonja already has a new team in the NBA
The wait is over. Mario Hezonja returns to the NBA and does so hand in hand with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Croatian international, with a past at Barça and Real Madrid, among others, has signed a contract one year and 2.8 million dollars with the Ohio franchise after the Cavaliers failed to close the signing of LeBron James.
This has been confirmed by the renowned journalist Shams Charania (ESPN), who assures that Hezonjawhich also sparked the interest of the Golden State Warriorswill begin his sixth season in the NBA after paying a termination clause of $850,000 to real Madrid and with the intention of assuming an important role in the rotation of the team led by Kenny Atkinson.
After his time in Barçathe Croatian was selected in fifth place in the 2015 Draft and played 335 games in the NBA between Orlando magicNew York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers. Later he returned to Europe to wear the shirts of Panathinaikos and UNICS Kazan before starting a successful four-season spell at Real Madridwhere he conquered Euroleague of 2023.
Hezonja He comes from signing one of the best campaigns of his career. In the Euroleague he averaged 13.3 points, 4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while in the Endesa League He was chosen MVP of the season after registering 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds on average, winning the vote by players and the media. Sergio Scariolo He gave him the keys to the team and he took advantage of it, although he had little impact on the group after finishing the season blank.
At 31 years old, the Croatian forward faces a new opportunity in the NBA with a very different profile from its first stage. More mature, with experience in the European elite and consolidated as one of the best forwards on the continent, Hezonja will try to gain a foothold in some Cavaliers who reached the Eastern Conference finals last year.
