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EuroLeague star who left the vice-champion returns to the NBA: the new team has been revealed
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Sports

EuroLeague star who left the vice-champion returns to the NBA: the new team has been revealed

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • EuroLeague star Mario Hezonja is returning to the NBA after his contract with Real Madrid included a buyout option.
  • Hezonja, a Croatian forward, previously played in the NBA from 2015 to 2020 for the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, and Portland Trail Blazers.
  • In his recent EuroLeague stint, he achieved significant statistics and won the championship in 2023.

Mario Hezonja, a prominent figure in European basketball, is set to make a return to the NBA. The Croatian forward, who had a contract with Real Madrid until the summer of 2029, possessed a clause that allowed him to move to the top professional league for a buyout fee. Real Madrid is expected to receive approximately $850,000 USD from this transfer.

Hezonja played for the Spanish club from 2022 to 2026, a period during which he achieved a significant milestone by winning the EuroLeague championship in Kaunas in 2023. In the past season, he averaged 13.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in 23 minutes of play, with a performance index rating of 12.4.

This move marks a return to the league where Hezonja was initially drafted. In 2015, he was selected as the fifth overall pick in the NBA draft. During his previous tenure in the NBA from 2015 to 2020, the 206 cm tall forward played in 330 games for three different franchises: the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks, and the Portland Trail Blazers.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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