While the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t land LeBron James, they’ve signed a player who once played alongside him. Mario Hezonja, a former Knicks player, has agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.8 million with the Cavaliers, as reported by ESPN. This marks his return to the NBA after a three-year break.
Back in 2022, Hezonja had declared, “No, I’m not going back to the NBA,” citing a lack of respect and expressing his opinion that the league is more about show than actual gameplay.
This signing comes right after surprising news of LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers, which seems to have overshadowed other teams, including the Cavs and the Miami Heat, who were also in contention.
The Dubrovnik native was drafted fifth overall in 2015, just one pick after the Knicks chose Kristaps Porzingis. He spent his early career with the Orlando Magic until they opted not to renew his contract in 2018, leading him to sign with the Knicks for a season.
During his last NBA season in 2017-18 with the Magic, Hezonja had his best performance, averaging 9.6 points per game. His more recent time in the NBA was with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2019-20 season.
Over the past four years, however, he has excelled at Real Madrid, winning a EuroLeague title in 2023 and earning his first All-EuroLeague second team selection in 2024. Hezonja played a pivotal role in securing the Liga Endesa championships for Madrid in both 2024 and 2025.
He was also named Liga ACB MVP for the 2025-26 season. Last year, he averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while playing for about 23 minutes each game.
Hezonja remains actively involved with the Croatian national team, having participated recently in the FIBA 2027 World Cup Qualifiers.
