The Orlando Magic have declined their team option for Mario Hezonja‘s fourth year, making him an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The Orlando Magic have declined the fourth-year team option for Mario Hezonja, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports. Hezonja will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Orlando has declined the fourth-year option on Mario Hezonja, fifth overall pick in 2015 Draft, league sources told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 31, 2017
The Magic had until midnight Nov. 1 to pick up their option on the former fifth overall pick as part of his rookie contract.
Hezonja though has failed to live up to that lofty billing. A difficult second year and new management put him well behind the 8-ball. His spot in the rotation as a third-year player, even a high draft pick, was hardly guaranteed.
Even without the option figured out, Hezonja was facing a lot of pressure this year. With the Magic not picking up his option, it now becomes a contract year and Hezonja is playing to set up the rest of his career.
So far, Hezonja has looked better than he did in his disappointing sophomore year. Playing largely as a power forward, but still fighting for consistent minutes, Hezonja is averaging 4.5 points per game and shooting 11 for 22 from the floor and 5 for 8 from beyond the arc.
His minutes remain limited and his place in the rotation is still uncertain. He took advantage of the early season injury to Aaron Gordon to play well. But it is not likely he will surpass the Magic’s new rookie Jonathan Isaac on the depth chart. Coach Frank Vogel has largely kept to a nine-man rotation, leaving Hezonja on the outside.
That will make things tough for Hezonja to showcase himself and earn a new contract. The Magic could certainly look to resign him next summer. But that seems unlikely. It appears both parties agree parting ways is best for both of them.
His fourth year would have paid him roughly $5.2 million. It represents a small savings for the Magic, but it will not make a significant dent for the Magic in their offseason spending plans. It is less money for the Magic to pay out as they weigh the restricted free agency for Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton.
Quite simply, it seems Hezonja would get squeezed out of the roster. The Magic know this and feel it is time to move on.
Hezonja’s fate was likely sealed last season when he averaged only 4.9 points per game while shooting 35.5 percent from the floor and 29.9 percent from beyond the arc. He never seemed able to take the next step after a solid, but not spectacular rookie year.
Hezonja fell out of Vogel’s rotation early last year and could not find a way back in. His biggest problem being the Magic could not find a place to use him defensively.
Not helping him either was an apparent knee issue that gave him discomfort all last season. He spent his summer in Los Angeles rehabbing and treating his knee trying to remain healthy for this season.
With his shooting so poor, it was hard for the Magic to play him. Particularly considering he was touted as the best shooter in the 2015 Draft.
That has clearly not come to pass.
But, being the fifth overall pick, there are still bound to be some teams who believe they can turn him into something. The Magic certainly hoped so.
According to Wojnarowski, Orlando tried to engage in trade talks to recoup some value for Hezonja, hoping the promise of the team option year would get a team to take a chance on the young player.
Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders reported the Orlando Magic tried to engage in talks with the Sacramento Kings specifically. Scotto reported the Magic and Kings discussed a deal that would swap Mario Hezonja for Malachi Richardson and a second-round pick. But talks fell through.
Sources: Kings and Magic discussed a swap of Malachi Richardson and a second-round pick for Mario Hezonja, but trade talks stalled recently.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 31, 2017
Wojnarowski confirmed the Magic and Kings had some discussions this past weekend, but nothing materialized. The Kings reportedly had interest in taking Hezonja with the sixth pick in the 2015 Draft if he remained available.
There is no deal in sight now, but Hezonja now becomes an expiring contract. He will have the rest of this year to prove himself with the Magic. Or whatever happens next.
For now, Hezonja is on the periphery of the rotation and getting some fairly consistent playing time. He is getting a chance to prove he belongs in the NBA.
Next: Orlando Magic putting everyone on notice
With his team option gone, he will need to do so to get his next contract.