What Mario Hezonja Could Bring to Cleveland Cavaliers in Free Agency

There will be a few Cleveland Cavaliers fans who will recognize the name Mario Hezonja, who is attracting interest ahead of training camp.

The Croatian has spent the last six seasons in Europe, most recently with Spanish side Real Madrid, after spending the previous five years in the NBA, where he was remembered as a reliable role player who could shoot the ball well but needed to add physicality to his defense.

Six years on, Hezonja wants to return to the NBA, so has he improved the areas of his game that needed fine-tuning? Will he slot into Cleveland’s roster effortlessly? No deal has been done, but the Cavs are interested.

Is Hezonja the answer to Cleveland’s issues at small forward?

Perhaps the obvious thing is that Hezonja has logged many more years of elite-level basketball and, at 31-years-old, is one of the key components of the Real Madrid side, which is considered one of the giants of the EuroLeague, widely regarded as the top league in the world outside the NBA.

Hezonja plays with more balance and more maturity than he did when he was last in the NBA, which has led him to winning a EuroLeague title with Madrid in 2023, as well as two domestic ACB championships. He was also the MVP of the Spanish league last season.

If the Cavs were to let go of Max Strus, then there could be a heavy chance that if they bagged Hezonja, he would be inserted into the starting five. He adds size, scoring versatility, and a more polished all-around game to his last stint. Standing at 6’9”, he stretches the floor, loves running in transition, and offers that two-way wing player that Cleveland so desperately needs.

Hezonja isn’t LeBron James, and at first glance, it’s definitely not what Cavalier fans were hoping for, but with time and if he works out his role within the team rapidly, Hezonja can be a key asset to the team, certainly not a superstar level, but a hard-working, gritty and smart basketball player.

Is he a genuine starter right now? Probably not, but people said the same thing about Jaylon Tyson last season until injuries hit the team, leaving him to start 42 games and average 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Hezonja can provide a good scoring touch as a small forward.

It could be that if the Cavs were to get Hezonja, then he would be thrown at the deep end.

What’s Hezonja done since leaving the NBA?

Following a spell at the Portland Trail Blazers, where he was traded and waived by the Memphis Grizzlies, Hezonja decided to head back to Europe, and he signed for EuroLeague side Panathinaikos Athens in Greece.

His stay in the Greek capital was brief, as he signed on for UNICS Kazan in Russia. However, his EuroLeague dream there was cut short due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and he moved to Real Madrid in 2022, where he has remained ever since.

Last season, the Croatian averaged 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists for Real Madrid in the EuroLeague and 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest in the Spanish ACB, leading him to the MVP crown.

Hezonja has also played a key part for Croatia at the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers. In his last two games, he posted a triple-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in the win over Cyprus, along with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over Israel.

Add us as a preferred source on Google