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After a prolonged summer saga, the wait is finally over – Mario Hezonja is officially the newest addition to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The club confirmed the news via their social media channels.
Hezonja's return marks his first NBA appearance since the 2019/20 season, having spent the last six years playing professionally in Greece, Russia, and Spain.
Most recently, during the 2025/26 season with Real Madrid, he participated in 80 games (71 starts) across the EuroLeague, Liga Endesa, Spanish Cup, and Spanish Supercup. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 23.1 minutes per game, while also boasting an 84.8% success rate from the free-throw line.
During his four seasons with Real Madrid (2022-26), Hezonja was instrumental in the club's 2023 EuroLeague title win, earned a spot on the 2024 All-EuroLeague Second Team, and was named the Liga Endesa MVP for the 2025/26 season. He also contributed to Real Madrid's back-to-back Spanish League championships in 2024 and 2025, adding to the two Spanish titles he won with Barcelona in 2012 and 2014.
Furthermore, in his sole season with Panathinaikos in 2021, Hezonja helped the team secure the Greek championship.
In his five NBA seasons (2015-20), the 31-year-old forward played 330 games (69 starts) for Orlando, New York, and Portland, averaging 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 18.5 minutes on the court. He also featured in five playoff games with the Trail Blazers in 2020.
The Croatian-born Hezonja was selected fifth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, making him one of the highest-drafted Croatian players in league history.
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