By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Mario Hezonja’s expected return to the NBA has not yet been made official, as the Cleveland Cavaliers continue working through the necessary steps to complete his acquisition.
According to Marc Stein, Hezonja and Cleveland agreed to a one-year minimum deal on July 26, shortly after LeBron James chose to join the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Real Madrid have reportedly pushed back on releasing the Croatian forward because his NBA exit clause expired on July 20, six days before he had a team lined up.
The issue follows an earlier report by Marca that Hezonja informed Madrid of his intention to activate the clause by the contractual deadline but had neither presented an NBA offer nor completed the required payment at that time.
Despite the contractual dispute, a source close to the process told Stein that the Cavaliers are working through the remaining requirements to make the deal official. ESPN’s Shams Charania previously reported that the sides had agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.8 million.
Hezonja has prioritized an NBA comeback after spending six consecutive seasons in Europe, including the past four with Real Madrid. The 31-year-old previously appeared in 330 NBA games for the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers before rebuilding his career with Panathinaikos, UNICS Kazan and Madrid.
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