Mario Hezonja is back on the NBA radar, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are among the teams showing interest ahead of training camp.
For Cavs fans, the name might ring a bell. Hezonja spent five seasons in the NBA before heading overseas for the last six years, most recently with Real Madrid.
Back then, he was known as a dependable shooter who still had to add more physicality on defense. Now, at 31, he’s trying to make another run at the league after years of high-level basketball in Europe.
That stretch abroad has changed his profile. Hezonja has become a major piece for Real Madrid, one of the EuroLeague’s heavyweights and a club that sits near the top of the basketball world outside the NBA. He helped Madrid win the EuroLeague title in 2023, added two ACB championships, and was named MVP of the Spanish league last season.
The fit in Cleveland would depend a lot on roster movement, especially if Max Strus were to move on. In that scenario, Hezonja could be pushed into the starting five.
At 6-foot-9, he brings size, scoring range, transition ability, and the kind of two-way wing presence Cleveland could use. He’s not being sold as a star, but he does offer a more complete package than the player the NBA last saw.
There’s also the question of how ready he is to step in immediately. Hezonja may not look like an obvious starter on paper, but the Cavs have already seen how quickly that can change. Jaylon Tyson wasn’t expected to take on a major role last season until injuries forced the issue, and he ended up starting 42 games while averaging 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Hezonja’s path back has been a winding one. After his time with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he was traded and waived by the Memphis Grizzlies, he returned to Europe and signed with Panathinaikos Athens.
That stint didn’t last long. He then joined UNICS Kazan, but his EuroLeague run there ended when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine interrupted things, and he moved to Real Madrid in 2022.
The numbers from last season show why he’s back in the conversation. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in EuroLeague play, then posted 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in the Spanish ACB, which helped land him the MVP award.
Hezonja has also been productive for Croatia in FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers. In his last two games, he recorded a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a win over Cyprus, then followed that with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Israel.
In Other News...
This Proposed Cavs Move Would Ignite The Playoff Edge Debate
The idea of Cleveland chasing a tougher playoff edge has a way of surfacing every time the roster is measured against the Easts most physical contenders. In this hypothetical, the Cavs are being linked to a rugged wing who would bring more bite on both ends, the kind of addition that can change how a series feels when the pace slows and every possession gets tighter.
The framework is where the conversation gets interesting, because making it work financially would mean parting with Dennis Schroder and likely one of Max Strus or Sam Merrill. There is no indication Phoenix is shopping the player or that any talks have taken place, which keeps this squarely in the realm of a proposal for now, but it is the sort of roster thought experiment that naturally gets Cleveland fans debating how much edge is worth paying for. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs May Be Eyeing A Much Bigger Answer After LeBron
LeBron James move to Philadelphia has left Cleveland sorting through the next phase of its roster plan, and the Cavaliers are already doing the kind of due diligence that comes with a major star changing teams. The front office is looking at multiple free-agent paths as it tries to reset around the new reality, with Jonathan Kuminga and Mario Hezonja among the names drawing attention.
Kuminga stands out as the more intriguing fit because he has long been viewed as a player Cleveland likes, and he has worked out in the city before. Hezonja, meanwhile, brings a different kind of appeal as a former lottery pick trying to make his way back after spending time overseas, giving the Cavs another option as they weigh how to add talent and keep the roster flexible for whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Cannot Afford To Miss On Their Next Frontcourt Move
With the Cavaliers still sorting out the shape of their roster around Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, James Harden and Jarrett Allen, the frontcourt remains one of the clearest places to keep watching. Cleveland already has a strong core, but the next move has to add real flexibility, not just another body, especially after missing out on the kind of star swing that can change a team's ceiling in one shot.
P.J. Washington has surfaced as a name worth monitoring because of how well his game could slot into that mix, giving the Cavaliers another option in the frontcourt without forcing them to reshuffle everything else. His situation in Dallas is part of what makes this interesting, since the Mavericks' roster crunch and broader reset could eventually make him more accessible, and Cleveland cannot afford to miss if a player with that kind of fit becomes available. [Read more 🡒]