Mario Hezonja has been generating headlines following an amazing season in Europe in the Euroleague with Real Madrid. Hezonja averaged 13.8 points and 4.9 rebounds a game on 39% from three this season in the Spanish Liga ACB.
The 30-year-old forward played 4 seasons in the NBA with the Magic, Knicks, and Blazers, but failed to stick around as he struggled to space the floor consistently following his rookie season. Hezonja was the fifth-overall pick by the Magic back in 2015. The Croatian player has a lot of talent and is not just a 3-and-D wing. Still, the big selling point on his return to the NBA is his improvement from three, as he has demonstrated an ability to defend both in Europe and in the NBA.
During his final three seasons in the NBA, he posted a steal % above the 75th percentile for forwards in each season. He averaged 1.1 steals in 24.2 minutes per game for Real Madrid last season.
Another positive indicator was his rim rate, as he improved his rim rate every season as an NBA player.
Lakers Should Consider Signing Mario Hezonja This Offseason
All of these improvements in his game make Hezonja an intriguing offseason target for the Lakers. According to Donatas Urbonas of Basket News, Hezonja is already drawing NBA interest.
The Lakers wouldn't be asking Hezonja to handle the ball a ton, but this is still a positive for me as it shows he has the athleticism to occasionally put the ball on the floor and make a play.
The biggest selling point on Hezonja to the Lakers is the 57% True Shooting, alongside the rebounding and defense. Hezonja is a big physical player who can fit in a lot of different Lakers lineups alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The acquisition cost of Hezonja shouldn't be much more than a minimum contract as it will cost $850,000 to buy him out of his Real Madrid contract. Hezonja is a low-risk option who has demonstrated an ability to shoot efficiently and defend in the second-best league in the world over the past few seasons. Taking a chance on him makes sense for the Lakers due to their cap space issues.