Mario Hezonja is back in the NBA, and the new Cavaliers forward says he isn’t coming into this season with anything to prove.
That matters for Cleveland, which is trying to build off last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals. One of the more intriguing moves of the offseason was the Cavaliers bringing in the veteran wing, a player they had been pursuing even before this summer.
Hezonja has spent the last few years overseas after leaving the NBA following the 2019-20 season. His stops included Real Madrid, a Russian team, UNICS Kazan, and Panathinaikos, with most of his success coming at Real Madrid.
At this stage, Cleveland is looking for him to add scoring punch wherever he fits in the rotation. Hezonja seems to understand the assignment. Rather than framing this as a comeback tour, he’s focused on giving the Cavaliers whatever he can and helping in any role they need.
His strongest overseas stretch came with Real Madrid, where he was named Spanish Liga MVP and helped the club finish atop the standings. In 44 appearances, he averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
That production may be hard to fully duplicate in the NBA, but his shooting could still give Cleveland’s offense another layer. Before heading overseas, Hezonja’s best NBA season came in 2018-18 with the Orlando Magic, when he averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.
Hezonja won’t be asked to carry a major scoring load in Cleveland, especially with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and others on the roster. The Cavaliers are hoping he can bring value off the bench, where a little extra shot-making can go a long way when the games tighten up in the playoffs.
Cleveland enters the season with title hopes and a roster deep enough to believe it can again be one of the league’s better teams. The opener is set for October 22 on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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