Mario Hezonja Would Not Have Solved the Timberwolves' Issues

The Mario Hezonja sweepstakes came and ended with the former fifth overall pick from the 2015 NBA draft signing a one-year, $2.8 million dollar deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. His signing ended yet another free-agent player that tantalized Wolves fans. His 6’9 size and shooting theoretically could have slid into the Wolves vacant power forward position.

However, a Hezonja signing would not have solved the biggest problems for the Wolves: rebounding.

Rebounding must be priority for any Wolves power forward addition

The Wolves as currently constructed only have two players on roster that averaged five or more rebounds in 2025-26: Rudy Gobert (11.5) and Anthony Edwards (5.0). The Wolves finished 13th in rebounds per game (44.1).

Looking at their current rotation for the 2026-27 season, they would only snag 33.3 rebounds per game, based off their 2025-26 averages. This would have ranked last in the NBA, 5.1 rebounds behind the Brooklyn Nets, last season. Admittedly it is a flawed system, as players in new roles could see increases in their season-averages from a year ago. But the broader point stands.

The Wolves lost a net of 6.3 rebounds per game in the trades that sent Julius Randle and Naz Reid out and brought in LaMelo Ball and Josh Green. That number increases with the departures of Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson, and the injury to Donte DiVincenzo.

This is where the true need for a power forward lies, and where the case against Hezonja is strongest.

Why Hezonja was never the answer

Prior to leaving the NBA to play internationally, Hezonja averaged just 3.1 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game. The thought with Hezonja has always been that with his size and shooting, he could match up as a big guard and overpower players on offense. Then on defense his tall frame and wingspan could allow him to defend against bigger wings and post players.

Hezonja did show to be on a path of growing into that type of player in 2018-19 with the Knicks, when he averaged a career-high 4.1 rebounds per game in 20.1 minutes. However, his offense struggled and he shot just 27.6% from three. He found his minutes cut and role decreased the following year in Portland. This in part led to Hezonja going to the Euroleague, where he has played the last six seasons.

In Europe, Hezonja shined, most recently scoring 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for Real Madrid in Liga ACB. Playing alongside new Wolves forward Trey Lyles, that helped Real Madrid to a 26-8 record.

He also set a career high of 7.0 rebounds per game in 2021-22 UNICS in the VTB (Russian League). This is where also of the hope for Hezonja in a Wolves uniform was placed, in Europe and Russia he did show that he had improved in his per game averages.

However, it's important to note that the competition level and rules in Europe, and Russia especially, is significantly less than in the NBA. Consider that former Wolves guard Kendrick Nunn won the Euroleague MVP in 2024-25 and former Kings player Sasha Vezenkov won it in 2025-26. The rules in the FIBA brand of basketball are also much different, they don't have a defensive three second violation which allows defenders to pack the paint. They also don't have the same goaltending rules, which in FIBA allow a player to grab the ball off the rim of the basket.

The combination of rules and talent would have made the Hezonja signing risky for the Wolves, especially given the hole they have at the forward position. The Wolves would have had to make a leap of faith that the production increase Hezonja has had in Europe would carry over to the NBA — a leap that would have no evidence behind it based off of his first five years in the league.

Rebounding is a must when the Wolves address the forward position, and taking a chance on a player without that skill wouldn't have solved anything.

Add us as a preferred source on Google