Is Mario Hezonja’s NBA Comeback Closer Than We Think? Top Teams Eye Surprise Return!

Mario Hezonja’s basketball journey has taken quite a few twists and turns, hasn’t it? Once heralded as the fifth overall pick with dazzling potential, the last glimpse we had of him in the NBA was back in the bubble days, donning a Trail Blazers jersey off the bench. Since then, he’s been carving out a solid reputation across Europe, amassing experience in Greece, Russia, and now with the basketball giants, Real Madrid. Just last summer, Hezonja committed long-term to the Spanish titans on a five-year deal— but here’s the catch: there’s an NBA out clause tucked in there. And guess what? Several NBA teams are reportedly circling, intrigued by the shooting guard turned sharpshooter who’s upgraded his game overseas. The 6’8” Croatian has honed his perimeter shooting dramatically—he nailed an impressive 39.2% from beyond the arc last season. Combine that with his all-around stats for both Madrid and Croatia in EuroBasket qualifiers, and it’s clear he’s on a path of redemption and evolution. The buyout? Around $850,000, which is pretty standard for a Euro-to-NBA transition these days. Could we be witnessing a homecoming of sorts? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure—Hezonja’s story is getting more intriguing by the day. LEARN MORE

The last time we saw Mario Hezonja on an NBA court was in the bubble, when the former No. 5 pick was coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers. Since then, he has been in Europe playing in Greece and Russia before spending the past few seasons with Real Madrid. Just last summer he inked a five-year contract with the Spanish powerhouse, but the contract has an NBA out clause.Hezonja, 30, spent five seasons in the NBA after being drafted by the Magic, but the 6’8″ forward’s game never rounded out as hoped. He didn’t space the floor well from 3, and his offense was more straight-line drives than anything else. It’s something to watch. Hezonja’s NBA buyout clause is for around 0,000, Urbonas reports, which is about the going rate for an NBA buyout in Europe. And there is interest from several NBA teams, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. That growth in his game may have come in Europe. He shot 39.2% from 3 last season for Real Madrid, averaging 13.6 points and 4.9 assists a game this past season. Hezonja also averaged 30.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a couple of steals a game for Croatia in the 2025 EuroBasket qualifiers (Croatia did not make the cut).