Mario Hezonja Makes 1st Comments Since Signing With Cleveland Cavaliers

Mario Hezonja made his first comments since signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Hezonja is back in the NBA for the first time since the 2019-20 season. 

"Never liked how I left the NBA but these past 5 years have been exactly what I wanted and much needed! I am super happy that my new chapter is with @cavs a team and organization that I have always admired and respected!," Hezonja wrote on his X account. 

Hezonja was the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft. He has career NBA averages of 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The 31-year-old has played for the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers. 

Cleveland is expected to bring Hezonja off the bench next season. The Wine and Gold are also still trying to sign Jonathan Kuminga, who played for the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks last season. 

The Cavaliers made the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They lost to the New York Knicks in four games.

It's been a tough offseason for Cleveland. Dean Wade left for the Philadelphia 76ers, Keon Ellis left for the Brooklyn Nets and LeBron James signed with the 76ers instead of coming back home for a third stint.

Just how bad has the Cavaliers' summer been? NBA analyst Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report gave Cleveland a D+.

"We'll operate under the assumption that the Cleveland Cavaliers re-sign James Harden to a reasonable deal, but even in that case, it's hard to sell this offseason as a win," Bailey wrote. "The Cavs had three potential rotation players walk out the door. And their main target in free agency, LeBron James, chose someone else.

"Cleveland may have made the conference finals, but they were trounced there. And following that up with a half-step back looks bad. There is a bright side, though. Incoming rookie Meleek Thomas, who the Cavs grabbed in the second round, just averaged 27.2 in 29.0 minutes in summer league. He looks like a potential contributor as early as this season, and getting that out of a second-rounder could make this summer look a lot better in hindsight."

The biggest move the Cavaliers made this summer was signing Donovan Mitchell to a massive extension. Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension with Cleveland. 

The Cavaliers acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022. Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points per game in the regular season and 27.3 points per game in the playoffs in a Cleveland uniform.

Without LeBron, the Cavaliers' core remains the same: James Harden, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. We'll see if that core can get over the hump next season.