Real Madrid forward Mario Hezonja's future in the Euroleague is uncertain, and he might find himself back in the pros.
Hezonja, 30, started his NBA career with the Orlando Magic from 2015-18. He then played 58 games for the New York Knicks in the 2018-19 season.
He averaged 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds per game and rose in popularity amongst fans when he blocked LeBron James in a March 2019 game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
His last stint in the NBA was with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019-20.
He then made his way to Spain, where he signed a five-year contract with Madrid that includes an NBA buyout clause if he wishes to depart, according to basket-news staff writer Dontas Urbonas.
“Hezonja’s five-year contract with Madrid includes an NBA out clause—something several teams across the Atlantic are monitoring closely,” Urbonas wrote. “BasketNews source suggest the buyout figure is close to the NBA standard for international transfers: $850,000.”
The NBA logo.
The NBA logo.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Urbonas also reported that Hezonja is evaluating his market value and options, with new interest coming from NBA teams.
No potential candidates were listed, but teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls to show interest due to their lack of depth at the forward position.
The Croatian native averaged 14.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague regular season. Hezonja ranked in the top 15 for scoring and was 13th in rebounding.
In the playoffs, Hezonja scored 17.5 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game, although the Olympiacos defeated Madrid 3-1 in the first round of the postseason.