Mario Hezonja is Back Stateside with the Wine and Gold

Summer is flying by, and even though we’re still in the dog days of the league calendar, the 2026-27 schedule is only about two weeks away from being released. And from there, Training Camp sits just around the corner. 

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Cavaliers, who’ve now welcomed two new faces into the fold – a pair that arrives from completely opposite ends of the NBA spectrum: a youngster making his NBA debut and, as of Friday, a seasoned pro who’s seen the world. 

In this past June’s Draft, Cleveland tabbed Meleek Thomas out of Arkansas with the 34^th overall pick. Still 19 years old and wearing braces, all the young guard did last month in Las Vegas was lead the entire Summer League session in scoring, at 27.3 PPG. 

On Friday afternoon, the Wine & Gold officially announced the signing of forward Mario Hezonja, who returns to the Association after a six-year stint overseas. 

Originally selected by Orlando with the 5^th overall pick in the 2015 Draft, the 6-9, 242-pound Hezonja played in 330 games with the Magic, Knicks and Blazers – averaging 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds, making his lone playoff appearance with Portland in 2020. His best scoring season Stateside came in 2017-18, averaging 9.6 PPG with Orlando. His best year on the boards came the following season, averaging 4.1 RPG with New York. 

Over the course of his NBA career, the 31-year-old Croation scored more than 20 points on 10 occasions, with a career-high 30-point performance against the Wizards in 2019. He notched four career double-doubles and posted a triple-double with the Knicks in a loss to Houston in 2019.

After his five-season stretch in the NBA, Hezonja returned overseas to resume his international career – one that began with Barcelona when he was just 17. Over the course of his 533-game career (2012-15 and 2020-26) with FC Barcelona (Spain), Panathinaikos BC (Greece), UNICS Kazan (Russia) and Real Madrid (Spain), he averaged 11.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per.

Hezonja also comes to Cleveland off a strong recent season with Real Madrid – averaging 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 80 games across EuroLeague, Liga ACB, the Spanish Cup and ACB Supercup competition. 

A winner at every stop, Hezonja helped Panathinaikos BC win the Greek League championship during his single season with the club in 2021. In 2023, he was a key piece of Real Madrid’s march to the EuroLeague championship. He earned All-EuroLeague Second Team honors the following season and, last year, was named the 2025-26 Liga ACB Most Valuable Player. He also helped Real Madrid capture back-to-back Liga ACB championships in 2024 and 2025, 

After his successful reunion tour overseas, Hezonja will look to build on his career resurgence. And when Training Camp rolls around in late September, he’ll begin his second act in the NBA, joining a forward group in Cleveland that includes Evan Mobley, Max Strus, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Tristan Enaruna, and Riley Minix. 

The days are getting shorter, summer days are dwindling away, and Cavs season is closer than you think.