Mario Hezonja Waived Off Donovan Mitchell—Then Explained Why

Hezonja elaborated on his decision to waive off his star teammate

Oct 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Mario Hezonja (33) drives to the basket during the second half of a preseason game against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With each passing day, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ decision to take a chance on Mario Hezonja continues to look increasingly promising. Not only was his official Cavalier debut inspiring and chalk full of reasons for optimism but his demeanor and vocality off the court has many fans embracing the potential he brings to the proverbial table.

The big forward is already acclimating to his new environment and already appears to be in-tune with certain aspects of this team’s play. In other words, this is a man who gets it and ultimately gets us.

Whether it’s his comments on the weather patterns in Cleveland or his remarks in relation to how he views himself in the hierarchy of the roster, there is a certain level of honesty about him that is refreshing to hear and see. His latest commentary offered more of the same brand of honesty that is becoming customary of the former international MVP.

I see him and I tell him, you're not supposed to bring up the ball against the pressure because we need you in the last quarter. We need you in playoffs.

Mario Hezonja

It takes a confident individual to relay that to the star of a new team and if there is one thing we know that Hezonja doesn’t lack, it’s confidence. He went as far as to double down on what he’s bringing to the table and how he can support the stars.

We need you in game 80, game 60, you know. So, having somebody like me, that can help. As I said, from the first day, I'm here to help you. Sometimes it's offense, most of the time is defense, and many times it's actually screening for you. So, as much pressure that I can take off of him and James and Evan and Jarrett, players that we use a lot is just going to be so beneficial for the group.

Hezonja on how he helps

Hezonja’s decision to exploit what he felt was a clear mismatch (it was) was received quite well by the fanbase but didn’t appear to go over too well with Mitchell in real time, on the court. He made sure to clear the air and described what actually took place.

Just reading that play, I think we we want to run the clock down as much as possible. Obviously, there's a 5-second rule in NBA backing people up. That's why I stopped on the three-point line and kind of dribbled it. I waved JT out so that he creates a space for me to go one-on-one because I know Donovan is face guarded by probably their best defender because he's the biggest threat there for them. So just reading the situations like this is going to be huge for us.

Hezonja clears the air

Hezonja seems to understand that Cleveland has to play to its strengths. He appear willing to do whatever it takes to support his team and that may result in uncomfortable moments at times, even if that means challenging his stars to do something they haven't always done, play off-ball when the situation calls for it.