NBA
Former Knicks Forward Eyes NBA Return
A familiar face to the New York Knicks could soon find himself back in the NBA.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Mario Hezonja could be looking to return to the states for the next chapter of his career.
“Mario Hezonja, drafted No. 5 overall by Orlando in 2015, last played in the NBA in 2019-20,” Stein wrote. “Don’t be surprised to see him back in the league next season after stints with the Magic, New York and Portland. Hezonja spent the past two seasons at Real Madrid and is increasingly coming up as a free agent to watch this offseason when it comes to an NBA return.”
Hezonja, 29, played three years with FC Barcelona in Spain before the Orlando Magic drafted him with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He spent three seasons with the Magic but failed to live up to the high expectations that were placed upon him when he arrived in the league.
Following his stint with the Magic, Hezonja signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Knicks in free agency. It was a low-risk, high-reward move for the Knicks, who were one of the worst teams in the NBA at the time. He averaged 8.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for New York, but had one of the most memorable moments in recent Knicks history.
In a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James had a chance to win the game for his team at Madison Square Garden, but a last-second block from Hezonja sealed the win for the Knicks.
Hezonja signed with the Portland Trail Blazers after his one season with the Knicks and also had underwhelming numbers. Before the start of the 2020-21 season, the Blazers traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies, who waived him shortly after.
Since then, Hezonja has returned to Europe, playing for Panathinaikos in Greece (2021), UNICS Kazan in Russia (2021-22) and Real Madrid in Spain (2022-present).
Hezonja averaged 13.5 points per game while shooting over 43 percent from beyond the 3-point line this past season with Real Madrid, proving that he can still be a sniper at a high level of competition.
Free agency begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
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