Cavaliers sign Mario Hezonja after missing out on LeBron James

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed former NBA lottery pick Mario Hezonja to a one-year, $2.8 million contract after missing out on the signing of LeBron James.

According to ESPN, the Croatian forward is returning to the NBA after spending the past four seasons with Real Madrid, where he helped the club win the EuroLeague title in 2023.

Hezonja, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, last played in the league during the 2019-20 season. In 2022, he said: "I didn't get the respect I deserved. Also, in my opinion, the NBA is more a show than the game itself."

Charania reported that Golden State Warriors also showed strong interest in signing Hezonja before he chose Cleveland, expected to play an important role on the wing.

The move comes after LeBron James opted to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. A

According to ESPN, James' agent Rich Paul said on the Game Over podcast that Cleveland was among the teams under consideration.

"Home is home [in Cleveland]. Miami is Miami. It's Pat [Riley]. … I think that everyone was at some point leading the race”, Paul said.

Hezonja arrives after winning the 2026 Liga ACB MVP award, averaging 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists last season.