After falling short of a potential reunion with star forward LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers have turned their attention elsewhere.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Cavs signed EuroLeague star Mario Hezonja to a one-year, $2.8 million contract. The No. 5 pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Hezonja last played in the league in the 2019-20 season.
Back in 2022, Hezonja said he was “not going to return to the NBA,” adding “I didn’t get the respect I deserved. Also, in my opinion, the NBA is more a show than the game itself.”
Despite his hiatus from the NBA, Hezonja still has the respect of the league. Charania noted that in addition to the Cavs, he also “received strong interest to return to the NBA” from the Golden State Warriors. He’s reportedly set to “play a key wing role” in his first year back in the States.
Hezonja spent the last four seasons starring for Real Madrid, helping to lead the team to a EuroLeague championship in his first year with the squad in 2023. In the domestic Liga ACB, he earned the 2026 MVP award after averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists across 44 games while leading Madrid to a first-place finish in the regular season.
The Cavs were forced to revamp their strategy in free agency after James chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. James’ agent, Rich Paul, confirmed that Cleveland was in consideration along with Golden State and the Miami Heat.
“You can see from the end of the season … the emotional attachments and how hard it is to go away from a Miami and go away from a Cleveland,” Paul said on his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “Who wouldn’t want to play with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. I’m seeing the emotional roller coaster every single day. … Home is home [in Cleveland]. Miami is Miami. It’s Pat [Riley]. … I think that everyone was at some point leading the race.”
While failing to land James hurts on an emotional level, the Cavs remain one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference entering the 2026-27 season, and Hezonja is a strong addition who can contribute to the team’s title chase.
