Cavs add ex-lottery pick Hezonja after Euro stint — SkimNews
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- Mario Hezonja agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with agent Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management confirming the agreement.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers beat out the Golden State Warriors for the 6-foot-8 forward, who hadn't played in the NBA since 2019-20.
- Hezonja spent the past four seasons with Real Madrid, winning the EuroLeague championship in 2024 and earning ACB League MVP honors in 2025-26.
- The Cavs are slotting Hezonja into a key wing role after the team reached the Eastern Conference finals last season.
- His first NBA run — three years with the Orlando Magic followed by one-year stops with the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers — produced averages of 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in a mostly reserve role.
Why it matters: The Cavaliers, fresh off an Eastern Conference finals run, are paying a modest $2.8 million for a former top-5 pick who spent the past four years establishing himself as one of Europe's best. For a wing-needy contender, this is a low-cost lottery ticket on a player whose NBA production never matched his draft pedigree.
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