Mario Hezonja returns to NBA, signs one-year deal with Cleveland Cavaliers
The Croatian forward, 31, leaves Real Madrid as the reigning ACB MVP for a $2.8 million guaranteed contract, aiming to revive his NBA career.
Return to the NBA
Mario Hezonja has signed a one-year, $2.8 million fully guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, returning to the NBA for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The 31-year-old Croatian forward had been with Real Madrid since 2022, where he won the EuroLeague in 2023 and was named MVP of the Spanish ACB league in 2025-26 after averaging 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds. His last NBA stop was with the Portland Trail Blazers; earlier he played for the Orlando Magic, who drafted him fifth overall in 2015, and the New York Knicks. Over 330 regular-season games in his first NBA stint, he averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 41.7% from the field and 31.9% from three-point range. His best NBA season came in 2017-18 with Orlando, when he averaged nearly 10 points in 22 minutes per game.
- Drafted 5th overall by Orlando Magic
- Joins New York Knicks
- Signs with Portland Trail Blazers
- Leaves NBA, begins EuroLeague career
- Joins Real Madrid
- Wins EuroLeague with Real Madrid
- Named ACB MVP after averaging 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds
- Signs one-year, $2.8 million deal with Cleveland Cavaliers
The contract and the financial gamble
The deal, reported by ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday, is a veteran's minimum contract for a player with his years of service. Hezonja had a clause in his Real Madrid contract allowing him to leave for the NBA upon payment of €850,000, which he still owes. By signing a guaranteed one-year deal, he quashed speculation that he might use a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract as a bridge to quickly return to Europe, where Dubai BC had shown strong interest and where his former youth coach Xavi Pascual now leads the project. The move represents a pay cut: at Real Madrid he earned around €4.7 million gross per season under a contract that ran until 2029, significantly more than the $2.8 million he will receive in Cleveland, subject to U.S. taxes. The short-term nature of the contract positions him to re-enter free agency in 2027, aiming for a larger NBA deal if he performs well, or a lucrative return to Europe if not.
LeBron James reshapes the market
Hezonja's signing is part of the fallout from LeBron James's decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers, which froze the free-agent market and then triggered a cascade of moves. The Cavaliers, who reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last season (one Spanish report described it as the conference finals, the first for the franchise since 2018), were among the suitors for James and, after missing out, turned to Hezonja. They beat out the Golden State Warriors for his signature. Cleveland now positions itself as a contender in an Eastern Conference that includes the champion New York Knicks and the James-led 76ers.
A contentious exit from Madrid
Hezonja's departure from Real Madrid was abrupt. Six days before the signing, he informed the club he would exercise his NBA out clause, even without a firm offer in hand. His relationship with the club had soured after the dismissal of coach Sergio Scariolo, who shares an agent with Hezonja. When the club replaced Scariolo with Pedro Martínez, Hezonja posted on social media:
At this point do I write paragraphs here or record a TikTok video spitting fire?
The €850,000 buyout remains unpaid as of the reports.
What comes next
Hezonja will join a Cavaliers team that advanced to the conference semifinals last season and now adds a versatile forward with EuroLeague pedigree. His one-year deal makes the 2026-27 season a prove-it campaign. If he succeeds, he could command a multi-year contract in the NBA in 2027; if not, European powerhouses, including Dubai BC, are expected to pursue him again.
