After dominating in Europe, the former lottery pick seeks a stateside revival, but his past ties to Sacramento's front office might not be enough to secure a roster spot.
Mario Hezonja is leaving Real Madrid to attempt an NBA comeback, and the Sacramento Kings could be a landing spot, but analysts may be overvaluing his relationship with Scott Perry.
The Orlando Magic drafted the Croatian forward with the fifth pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Perry was the vice president and assistant general manager to Rob Hennigan at the time.
Hezonja didn't live up to his lottery pick potential, averaging 6.9 points across three seasons for the Magic. He followed Perry to the New York Knicks in 2018, becoming the new general manager, signing a one-year $6.5 million deal.
"Meeting again with people that I'm super familiar with and New York, as a team, has a lot of players that I already know from a personal standpoint," Hezonja told reporters at his introductory press conference on July 10, 2018.
That season, he averaged 8.8 points and made the greatest highlight play of his career: recording a game-winning block of then-Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
New York did not re-sign him in the following offseason despite a solid showing. He signed a two-year, $3.7 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, which became his last NBA team after he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies and waived.
Returning to Europe was the next step in his professional career. Hezonja has had a storied career overseas, becoming a multi-time champion and winning various awards for his dominance.
The 31-year-old wants to return to the NBA, and the Kings are at the forefront of rumors because of his connection with Perry. Sacramento's general manager has expressed interest in multiple former players he drafted or signed.
Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett has been on his radar for a while because of their time with the Knicks. Trade rumors between the two franchises sparked after Toronto's Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
His time as New York's general manager has certainly influenced his actions with Sacramento. Although fans and analysts are connecting the dots between Hezonja and Perry, it seems the Kings aren't interested in his services just yet.
"I poked around about this, and from what I can gather, the Sacramento Kings don't necessarily have Mario Hezonja on their radar at this point," Matt George said on "The Matt George Podcast" on Wednesday. "Doesn't mean things can't change, but from what I've checked in on, I do not believe there is any connection between the Sacramento Kings and Mario Hezonja at this time."
Sacramento can only offer him the veteran's minimum, but it may be the "prove-it" deal he takes in his return to get his footing back in the NBA.
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