Mario Hezonja agrees to deal with New York Knicks

Mario Hezonja will not return to the Orlando Magic after the team declined his team option in October. He announced he will join the New York Knicks.

The Orlando Magic drafted Mario Hezonja in the 2015 NBA Draft hoping he would be a shooter and playmaker the team desperately needed. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla famously said on draft night that Hezonja was the one player who could win both the 3-point contest and the slam dunk contest.

None of that came to pass after Orlando made him the fifth overall selection. Hezonja struggled to find his footing in the NBA. Being on a team that did not have solid grounding did not help matters either. Hezonja’s role became inconsistent as his production decreased.

The Magic made the difficult decision not to pick up his fourth-year option and turned him into an unrestricted free agent this summer. Orlando was not able to keep him if they wanted to in free agency.

Hezonja announced on Twitter he had agreed to a contract with the New York Knicks. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reported first it was a one-year, $6.5-million deal.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, several teams were interested in Hezonja. The New York Knicks beat out stiff competition that included the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Hezonja’s run with Orlando was a bit uneven from the start. He averaged 6.1 points per game in 17.9 minutes per game his rookie year. He struggled to find the floor consistently as he struggled defensively under coach Scott Skiles. But he had plenty of strong performances where his highlight plays and confidence showed through.

That is what made him the fifth overall pick. Ultimately, Hezonja showed a lot of promise in that first year. There was still a chance for him to grow.

But Hezonja regressed and struggled his second season in the league. He struggled to crack new coach Frank Vogel’s rotation, playing in just 14.8 minutes per game across 65 games. The highlight plays and good performances were few and far between.

But he bounced back last season with increased playing time due to a flurry of injuries and averaged a respectable 9.6 points in 22.1 minutes per game.

That showing made the Magic regret their decision to decline his team option for the 2019 season.

That decision meant the Magic could only offer him the maximum salary of $5.2 million next year. The Knicks ended up offering more to give Hezonja a new chance and a new setting to try to make good on that massive talent.

Although Hezonja showed improvement last season, this news does not seem like a big blow for the Magic organization. Orlando has a ton of wings and drafted two more in the 2018 NBA Draft in June.

Hezonja should have an easier route for playing time with New York. The Knicks starters at the wing position last season were Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee. And this is a growing team with some expectations to win and some solid players around him to help him continue growing and developing.

The bright lights of Madison Square Garden seem like an ideal spot for Hezonja, who is known for his arrogance and flair on the basketball court.

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The Magic put a big investment in him in 2015, but were unable to get much out of it. It seemed like this was the time for the parties to move on.