The Cleveland Cavs recently swung and missed on LeBron James in free agency, as the franchise icon opted to take his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers. Pressure is mounting on the Cavs to pivot quickly, and on Sunday afternoon, they made headlines with the signing of a former NBA veteran.
“EuroLeague star Mario Hezonja has agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million deal to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management told ESPN,” reported Shams Charania of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.
Charania also noted that “Hezonja received strong interest to return to the NBA from Cleveland and Golden State,” and is expected to play a reserve role for Cleveland this season.
Hezonja was a serviceable player in the NBA for multiple teams earlier in his career, including the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic. Coincidentally, he made headlines with the Knicks when he blocked a potential game-winner from James several years ago, drawing a roar from the Madison Square Garden crowd in the process.
While it’s unclear how much left he will have in the tank at the NBA level after playing the last few years overseas, clearly, the Cavs felt pressure to make a big addition after whiffing on a James reunion in free agency. Meanwhile, the embarrassments continue to pile up for the Golden State Warriors, who also were in the running for James’ services at one point but now have also swung and missed on Hezonja.
In any case, the Cavs’ 2026-27 schedule is slated to be released at some point next month.