2019 Outlook
The Orlando Magic put themselves in a bind in October when they decided to decline Hezonja’s fourth-year team option and turn him into an unrestricted free agency.
Even considering Hezonja’s poor play the year before and to start the season, it was a tough decision to justify. It is hard to turn out a talented 23-year-old player. But that decision was made.
Hezonja’s play certainly made them regret the decision. He had a career season and showed steady progress throughout the year, gaining confidence as he played more and more and got a consistent role. Hezonja earned that trust.
But that still does not make his contract future any more certain.
For much of the season, it felt like president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman declined the team option as a favor to Mario Hezonja. It was more a recognition that Weltman did not draft Hezonja and he did not have a clear path to playing time on the roster. So for the betterment of player and team, they wanted to wash their hands of each other.
It does not seem like Hezonja sees things that way. While Hezonja recognizes that he needs to get as much money as he can — Hezonja smartly noted money plays in this league — he would like to do that in Orlando. He seemed very optimistic about the program Jeff Weltman and John Hammond were building and wanted to stay in a place tha thas become home.
Because the Magic declined his team option, they are limited to offering him a contract with a max starting salary of $5.2 million. Orlando still retains his Bird Rights, meaning they can go over the cap to re-sign him, and can still offer him a multi-year deal. They also still retain their Bird Right raises.
It seems unlikely Hezonja will get that much. His value around the league even at the All-Star Break and trade deadline still seemed pretty low. Orlando was again offering him for free according to severla reports hoping to extract some value from him. They found no takers.
Someone will be intrigued enough to go for Hezonja. From there, it will ultimately be Hezonja’s decision whether he will stay. And it is unclear if the Magic are interested in bringing him back.
If they are, it seems like Hezonja wants to stay. But Hezonja is going to look out for himself too. He has to find someplace that can guarantee him playing time. And that was not Orlando for much of his career.