Cleveland Cavaliers sign Mario Hezonja to one‑year $2.8 M deal FAST-MOVING

Mario Hezonja Cleveland Cavaliers NBA return $2.8 million contract buyout clause

Croatian forward Mario Hezonja activated an €850,000 buy‑out clause in his contract with Real Madrid to return to the NBA. He agreed to a one‑year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers worth $2.8 million, a deal reported by ESPN insider Shams Charania. The Cavaliers outbid the Golden State Warriors for his services after LeBron James’s move to Philadelphia freed cap space. Hezonja previously appeared in 330 NBA games for the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers and spent six seasons in Europe, winning the 2023 EuroLeague championship and being named MVP of Spain’s Liga Endesa. Cleveland, recent Eastern Conference finalists, expect Hezonja to strengthen their wing rotation for the upcoming season.

Entities: Cleveland Cavaliers · LeBron James · Mario Hezonja · Misko Raznatović · Real Madrid · Shams Charania

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 6 SOURCES] The signing marks Hezonja’s return to the NBA after a six‑year gap, his last NBA season being 2019‑20. (multiple)
[● 4 SOURCES] The Golden State Warriors were also interested in signing Hezonja. (multiple)
[● 3 SOURCES] Agent Misko Raznatović announced the move via a tweet linking the Dubrovnik Republic to the Cavaliers’ nickname. (multiple)
[● 10 SOURCES] He won the 2023 EuroLeague championship with Real Madrid and was Liga Endesa MVP. (85c4755e-dfac-4e0f-a2d6-eb80ff5839d2,2308fc8d-9351-4376-afb5-a60c349062bf,67f16c43-6234-4aa2-95a3-730c7676f9c3,7a27d837-)
[● 13 SOURCES] He previously played in the NBA for the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers (330 games). (f195c0ee-8b09-4efa-ac7b-30f540dfba30,85c4755e-dfac-4e0f-a2d6-eb80ff5839d2,d036608d-e4fe-4833-a77d-e7e2af2e6ed0,1b2ac1ef-)
[● 6 SOURCES] Mario Hezonja activated an €850,000 buy‑out clause in his contract with Real Madrid. (multiple)
[● 10 SOURCES] LeBron James’s move to the Philadelphia 76ers opened cap space that allowed Cleveland to sign Hezonja. (85c4755e-dfac-4e0f-a2d6-eb80ff5839d2,2308fc8d-9351-4376-afb5-a60c349062bf,67f16c43-6234-4aa2-95a3-730c7676f9c3)
[● 16 SOURCES] He signed a one‑year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers worth $2.8 million. (85c4755e-dfac-4e0f-a2d6-eb80ff5839d2,2308fc8d-9351-4376-afb5-a60c349062bf,67f16c43-6234-4aa2-95a3-730c7676f9c3,246f2f4c-)
[● 5 SOURCES] He was selected fifth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. (f195c0ee-8b09-4efa-ac7b-30f540dfba30,85c4755e-dfac-4e0f-a2d6-eb80ff5839d2)
[● 10 SOURCES] The signing was reported by ESPN insider Shams Charania. (85c4755e-dfac-4e0f-a2d6-eb80ff5839d2,2308fc8d-9351-4376-afb5-a60c349062bf,67f16c43-6234-4aa2-95a3-730c7676f9c3,7a27d837-)
[● 6 SOURCES] The Cleveland Cavaliers outbid the Golden State Warriors for Hezonja. (2308fc8d-9351-4376-afb5-a60c349062bf,67f16c43-6234-4aa2-95a3-730c7676f9c3,7a27d837-bcdb-4e4c-9d82-ba23b54cbf79,234129c0)
[● 16 SOURCES] Mario Hezonja activated an €850,000 buy‑out clause in his contract with Real Madrid to leave for the NBA. (f195c0ee-8b09-4efa-ac7b-30f540dfba30,85c4755e-dfac-4e0f-a2d6-eb80ff5839d2,d036608d-e4fe-4833-a77d-e7e2af2e6ed0,1b2ac1ef-)