Former top-5 draft pick about to make NBA comeback?

Feb 18, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The NBA logo on the court at Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There may still be an NBA future left for Super Mario.

Veteran basketball writer Marc Stein reported on Saturday to his Substack page that former Orlando Magic lottery pick Mario Hezonja is emerging as a possible NBA comeback candidate. Stein notes that Hezonja is increasingly coming up as a free agent to watch this offseason with regard to a potential NBA return.

Hezonja, 29, was the No. 5 overall pick by the Magic back in 2015. Despite being taken over the likes of Devin Booker, Myles Turner, and Bobby Portis, Hezonja never quite found his footing in the NBA. He averaged a combined 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Magic, the New York Knicks, and the Portland Trail Blazers in five career seasons before exiting the league altogether in 2020.

But the Croatia native Hezonja has since had a resurgence playing overseas. He won a EuroLeague championship with Spain’s Real Madrid in 2023 and then earned All-EuroLeague Second Team honors this season for Real Madrid with 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on a blazing 45.3 percent from three.

Hezonja has always had strong scoring ability at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds and was even known for his swagger towards some of the NBA’s top stars. Now that he has had time to further hone his game overseas, Hezonja may just end up back in the Association before long.