An NBA blast from the past is gaining significant interest in the free agency market. According to reports, former top-five pick Mario Hezonja could be a name to watch in the offseason. Teams have reportedly already shown interest in the 30-year-old who currently plays for Real Madrid. Could we see him back in the league next year?
NBA Teams Interested In Mario Hezonja?
Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reported that many teams are interested in the 6-foot-8 forward out of Croatia. The Orlando Magic took him with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played three years for the Magic before spending a year with the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, he didn’t pan out the way many thought he would. In his five-year career, he averaged 6.9 points, 1.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds.
Why the renewed interest? Mario Hezonja has improved his game in the past few years playing overseas in the EuroLeague. Last year, he averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 assists per game, while shooting 39.2% from three-point range. This would make him a perfect bench piece for many teams. NBA teams are always looking for more shooting, especially off the bench.
What Would It Take To Get Him?
Hezonja signed a five-year extension with Real Madrid last summer, but that doesn’t mean he cannot easily make the jump back to the league. His contract has an NBA out clause, and the buyout number of $850,000 is standard for most international basketball players. Teams would happily pay the price if it meant getting a valuable piece for their roster.
The report did not indicate which teams were interested. It may be something teams are monitoring to see whether Hezonja would fit in their salary cap. Regardless, it will be interesting to see if the former lottery pick makes a comeback. Usually, when players fall out of the league for this long, it is difficult to make it back. This is an unexpected free agent to watch this offseason.
