Mario Hezonja Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Make Offer To Mario Hezonja

July 1st, 2018 at 12:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:50pm: The Knicks have an offer on the table for Hezonja, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports that the one-year deal would be worth a portion of the team’s mid-level exception. While Hezonja is considering the offer, he had been seeking a multiyear contract.

If Hezonja ultimately accepts the Knicks’ proposal, it would signal the end of Michael Beasley‘s time in New York, Berman adds.

8:25am: The Knicks appear to the early favorites to sign free agent forward Mario Hezonja, tweets ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Several league executives told Begley that Hezonja sees New York as his best option, However, the Knicks are only handing out one-year deals to preserve their 2019 cap space, so another organization could trump that with a longer offer. The Kings are among the teams with interest in Hezonja (Twitter link).

The Croation forward had a disappointing three years in Orlando after being the fifth player taken in the 2015 draft. However, he’s coming off his best season, averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds and starting 30 of the 75 games that he played.

Knicks Rumors: Hezonja, O’Quinn, Johnson, Tolliver

July 1st, 2018 at 1:39am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Mario Hezonja is very much on the Knicks‘ radar, according to reports. After Michael Scotto of The Athletic indicated earlier in the evening (via Twitter) that New York had interest in Hezonja, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweeted that the interest is mutual. In the early hours of free agency, the Knicks and Hezonja had a meeting, Scotto adds (via Twitter).

Hezonja is just one of a number of free agents linked already to the Knicks, who plan to offer only one-year deals this offseason. Let’s round up a few more notes and rumors…

The Knicks were among the teams to reach out to Amir Johnson after free agency opened, tweets Begley. Johnson is also said to be drawing interest from Minnesota and both Los Angeles clubs.
Kyle O’Quinn seems much more likely to sign with another team than to reeturn to the Knicks, sources tell Begley (Twitter link). According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the division-rival Sixers have expressed serious interest in O’Quinn.
The Knicks were one of at least five or six clubs to express interest in Anthony Tolliver when free agency opened, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports (via Twitter) that GM Scott Perry had a brief phone conversation with the veteran forward.
A two-way player last season, Luke Kornet received a qualifying offer from the Knicks. While New York would like to bring him back on another two-way deal, two teams have expressed “preliminary interest” in giving Kornet a standard NBA contract, sources tell Berman. The Knicks would have the right to match any offer sheet the young seven-footer signs.

Free Agent Rumors: Favors, LaVine, Curry, Hezonja

June 27th, 2018 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz forward Derrick Favors has set up a few free agent meetings, Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News tweets. Favors is happy in Utah but wants to go through the free-agent process to determine his best course of action, Woodyard adds. Favors, 26, averaged 12.7 PPG and 7.2 RPG last season. Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey said recently he’d like to keep the team’s core intact. The Wizards, Bucks and Warriors have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Favors.

In other developments involving players heading to free agency:

At least one Western Conference team is preparing to make a run at Bulls restricted free agent guard Zach LaVine, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports. Johnson anticipates the Bulls would prefer to re-sign LaVine in the $14-16MM range annually but might balk if he receives an offer sheet worth $20MM or more per year.
Mavericks guard Seth Curry has been medically cleared after missing last season with a left tibia fracture, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Curry, an unrestricted free agent, has been engaged in full basketball-related activities for a month, Wojnarowski adds. Curry had a breakout season with Dallas the previous year, averaging 12.8 PPG and 2.7 APG while starting 42 of 70 games.
The Nets are interested in Magic forward Mario Hezonja, Brian Lewis of the New York Post hears. Hezonja has not lived up to his billing after being the No. 5 pick of the 2015 draft but the Nets think highly of him and aren’t afraid of reclamation projects, Lewis continues. Hezonja, who averaged 9.6 PPG last season, is an unrestricted free agent after Orlando declined to pick up his fourth-year option last year. Brooklyn has pursued top-level restricted free agents in recent years but is unlikely to do so this summer because the front office would like to create room for two max players next summer, Lewis adds.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Wizards, Hornets

June 27th, 2018 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

Unlike a handful of other rebuilding clubs, the Magic won’t have cap room available this summer. However, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman tells Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel that the club will have its full mid-level exception available. As Weltman observes, even without any cap space, that full MLE puts the Magic in a better position than many teams round the NBA.

“I think there are dozen or so teams that are facing the tax this year,” Weltman said. “The league is very compressed financially this summer. We’re certainly not in an elite flexibility position, but I don’t think we’re at the other end of the spectrum, either. We’re probably somewhere in the middle.”

While Weltman didn’t offer any real specifics on the Magic’s free agent targets, he said that the team is “hopeful” it can reach an agreement with Aaron Gordon, and added that the front office will talk to Mario Hezonja‘s representatives to see if a deal can be made on that front.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

In a conversation of his own with Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel, new Magic head coach Steve Clifford discusses his thoughts on Mohamed Bamba, the team’s center logjam, and his face-to-face visit with Aaron Gordon.
Following the trade that sent Marcin Gortat to Los Angeles, the Wizards are in desperate need of more frontcourt bodies. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington explores some of the club’s options for acquiring more big men.
Although the Wizards traded Gortat, president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld sounds positive about most of the rest of the team’s core. As Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington details, Grunfeld’s comments suggest that the club will make it a priority to maintain continuity heading into 2018/19.
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer takes a closer look at the Hornets‘ decision to trade Dwight Howard will impact Nicolas Batum, Cody Zeller, and new head coach James Borrego.

Kings Interested In Jabari Parker, Mario Hezonja

June 26th, 2018 at 10:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Kings are interested in signing restricted free agent Jabari Parker, though their level of interest depends on Parker’s asking price, James Ham of NBC Sports California writes.

Since coming into the league, Parker has torn the ACL in his left knee twice — once in 2014 and again in 2017. Ham notes that the Bucks may be preparing for life without Parker, someone who was once seen as a franchise cornerstone.

Milwaukee can match any offer Parker signs, so finding the right deal could be tricky for the Kings, as the Bucks would likely not let Parker go free on a low-risk deal.

Sacramento will also kick tires on Mario Hezonja, as the former No. 5 overall hits the free agency market. The wing never lived up to his draft status, mixing in moments of high-potential with mostly uninspiring play. Orlando declined to pick up his fourth-year option, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: Orlando Magic

April 13th, 2018 at 10:28pm CST by Austin Kent

Despite some unsavory long-term contracts, the Magic have plenty of cap space lined up for the 2018/19 season. For that reason, and the obvious one that they haven’t sniffed a .500 record the last six seasons, the franchise is very much a blank canvas heading forward.

Last season was the first year at the helm for new president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond, and they played things rather safe, inking a handful of serviceable, if forgettable, veterans to modest deals and calling it an offseason. This summer we may get our first look at what their long-term plans for the franchise are.

Arron Afflalo, SG, 32 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
While the once-vaunted perimeter defender previously came with a hefty price tag, the Magic managed to snag Afflalo on a cheap deal this past season. You can’t fault the squad for the speculative leadership add considering the lack of identity on the roster, but there’s no obvious reason to expect the veteran to want to return after a forgettable 2017/18. Afflalo played just 12.9 minutes per game this season and literally can’t do any worse on the open market than he did last time when he landed a minimum contract on a terrible team that couldn’t even be bothered to give him consistent playing time. That’s not a knock on either party — sometimes things just aren’t a good fit — but I expect the journeyman to seek a more substantive role for the first time since his stint in Denver.

Aaron Gordon, PF, 22 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $18MM contract in 2014
The Magic have all the flexibility in the world to accommodate a sizable Gordon deal and the combo forward is intriguing enough to convince at least one other team to make a generous offer. While it’s hard to say with certainty that Gordon can carry this franchise on his back given that he hasn’t really done so in four seasons, it’s equally hard to fault a team for pouncing on the opportunity to lock in an All-Star-adjacent asset that hasn’t even turned 23 yet. Could Gordon yield the max contract that he’s said to be seeking? It seems within reach, even if the Magic or any other team that commits to it ends up slightly underwhelmed.

Mario Hezonja, SF, 23 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $12MM contract in 2015
The Magic turned down the fourth-year option on Hezonja’s rookie contract and the swingman responded with the most memorable season of his young career so far. In 11 February contests Hezonja averaged 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, briefly showcasing that he could potentially be relied upon as an offensive weapon if given the opportunity. Nothing precludes the Magic from putting an offer on the table to bring him back this summer, but they can’t give him a starting salary higher than the value of the option they turned down ($5.17MM). Regardless, declining that option suggests the front office may have already made up its mind about his future with the team. Hezonja should draw interest elsewhere and could end up as a modest rotation player.

Marreese Speights, C, 30 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
Speights went from chipping in for four straight Western Conference contenders to a decidedly less competitive Magic squad, but don’t overlook the fact that the veteran established himself as a leader on a team in his home state. While there won’t be a shortage of space or money to bring Speights back in 2018/19, it’s reasonable to believe he’ll at least consider offers that could put him back in a position to contend. Speights was, and remains, an intriguing stretch big capable of filling the stat sheet in limited minutes off the bench. He won’t be any team’s top priority but he’s worth more than what he made this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southeast Rumors: Hezonja, Schroder, Walker, Beal

March 27th, 2018 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Mario Hezonja hasn’t been helping his cause lately as he approaches free agency, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel notes. The Magic declined to pick up his option for the 2018/19 season last summer, which ensured Hezonja would be an unrestricted free agent in July. He is shooting 38.2% from the field and 22.4% from long range this month, in part because he’s impatient and attempts too many low-percentage shots, Robbins continues. The No. 5 pick in the 2015 draft admits he’s not sure what to expect this summer. “It’s almost impossible to know what’s going to happen,” Hezonja told Robbins. “It’s a weird situation that is great for me.”

In other developments from the Southeast Division:

Hawks guard Dennis Schroder’s legal issues have grown, as his misdemeanor case stemming from an incident last September could be prosecuted as a felony, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. According to court records, the case has been transferred to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s office under a recommendation of prosecuting it as felony aggravated battery. The DA says the case remains under investigation and no decision has been made on charges, Cunningham tweets. The incident involved a scuffle at a shopping center parking lot.
Kemba Walker will enter unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019 and playing for a winner will be a prime consideration, as he revealed to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Hornets point guard says he’s tired of missing the playoffs so often after winning a national championship in 2011 with Connecticut. “I’ve always felt like I’m a winning player. Like I deserved it to be in the playoffs – to be battling,” Walker said. “That’s what it will be all about in the future.”
The Wizards have slumped this month and they’re destined for an early playoff exit if they don’t pick up their play, guard Bradley Beal warned Chase Hughes of NBC Sports and other media members. Beal feels like the team isn’t trying hard enough as the regular season winds down. “It’s just the same thing over and over,” he said. “Until we do it individually and together collectively, we’re going to get our [butts] kicked in the playoffs. This isn’t even remotely acceptable, how we are playing right now.”

Kings Eyeing Mario Hezonja As Free Agent Target?

March 5th, 2018 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Mario Hezonja, who is playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career as of late, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he’s beginning to look like an intriguing target. According to various reports, the Kings are one team that’s expected to have interest in Hezonja when he reaches the open market.

Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee recently wrote that Hezonja has “fans in Sacramento’s front office” and figures to be a target for the Kings this offseason. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders has expressed a similar sentiment, tweeting today that the club is a “real and viable threat” to land Hezonja. Kyler later tweeted that he continues to hear the Kings “have eyes” for the third-year forward, who was linked to Sacramento in trade rumors last October.

Hezonja, the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, struggled during his first two seasons in Orlando, but has looked better this year, particularly in recent weeks. For the season, the 23-year-old is averaging 9.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG with a shooting line of .463/.348/.826. In his last 15 games, Hezonja has boosted those averages to 14.7 PPG and 4.3 RPG on .473/.412/.868 shooting.

It remains unclear what sort of contract Hezonja will land in free agency. Cap space won’t be plentiful around the NBA, and the Croatian’s career track record will make teams wary of investing significant money. But he’s also just 23 years old, and if he continues to show signs of putting it all together, there should be teams willing to aggressively roll the dice on him.

Orlando’s level of interest in re-signing Hezonja hasn’t been reported, but if the forward finishes the season strong, bringing him back will be tricky for the Magic. Because the team turned down the fourth-year option on Hezonja’s rookie contract last fall, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, and Orlando won’t be able to offer a starting salary of more than $5,167,231, the amount of that declined option.

Southeast Notes: Sessions, Hezonja, Hornets, Schroder

March 4th, 2018 at 9:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran guard Ramon Sessions will find out today if he’ll be getting a second 10-day contract from the Wizards, relays Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Sessions’ first 10-day deal expires at midnight, and even though he hasn’t appeared in any games yet, that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t have plans for him.

“He’s a worker. He hasn’t gotten any opportunities. That might change [Sunday] night,” coach Scott Brooks said of tonight’s contest with the Pacers.

Washington signed Sessions to provide depth at point guard while John Wall recovers from knee surgery. Waived by the Knicks in January, Sessions had prior experience in Washington and was a logical choice for the role. Wall is expected to miss another two to four weeks and the Wizards already have a roster opening, so that may work in favor of Sessions getting another contract.

There’s more this morning from the Southeast Division:

The Magic may be regretting their decision to decline a team option on Mario Hezonja for next season, writes Frank Urbina of HoopsHype. The 23-year-old forward was coming off two uninspiring seasons when the new management team opted in October not to lock him up for another year. He has since developed into a versatile weapon off the bench, averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds over his last 31 games. The Magic could have had him under contract for approximately $5.2MM next season if they’d picked up that option.
It doesn’t matter that the Hornets haven’t named a successor to GM Rich Cho yet, but they need to find one quickly once the season ends, states Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. In addition to evaluating the coaching staff and preparing for the draft, the new GM will need to get control of the team’s salary cap situation by trading one or more rotation players and will have to manage the cap to stay under the luxury tax threshold. Bonnell adds that several viable GM candidates will probably emerge as their teams are eliminated from the playoffs.
Hawks guard Dennis Schroder has become the majority owner of Basketball Lowen Braunschweig, a team in his native Germany, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Southeast Notes: Hernangomez, Hornets, Hezonja

February 12th, 2018 at 6:45pm CST by marksuleymanov

Willy Hernangomez made it clear that he wanted to play — whether it was in New York or elsewhere — and the Hornets acquired him prior to the trade deadline. The fit seemed odd, given Charlotte’s depth at center. However, the 24-year-old Spaniard can still blossom into an asset, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes.

Hernangomez is still an effective scorer in the post and has some passing skills, which fit into head coach Steve Clifford’s system. Also, Hernangomez’s salary is team-friendly at $1.5MM next season and slightly higher the following year. That allows the Hornets to audition Hernangomez for an extended period; he can either develop into a rotational player or as a future trade chip.

Charlotte has one of the elite centers of the last decade in Dwight Howard to help mentor Hernangomez. “It’s great to have Dwight here. I want to learn so much every day,” Hernangomez said. “(Sunday) morning, he talked to me and gave me advice, and he doesn’t know me a lot. I’m very happy to be with one of the best centers in the league. I’m going to learn a lot from him.”

Check out other Southeast Division notes below:

After Sunday’s loss, the Hornets are 10 games below .500 at 23-33 and their playoff hopes are fading. Bonnell writes in a separate story that it is time for Clifford to reexamine the team and figure out an effective rotation.
Mario Hezonja has shown signs of improvement in each of his three NBA seasons and his recent assignment on Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was a good growing experience, John Denton of NBA.com writes. “Mario had one of his best nights and defensively he got scored on some, but he had some of his best collisions at the rim that I’ve been begging him to do for two years now,’’ head coach Frank Vogel. “So, he had a big growth night.’’
Chris McCullough plays sparingly for the Wizards, usually seeing time toward the end of games. However, McCullough prides himself on having an impact for the team in the minutes he is given, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes.