Shams: Hezonja pays €850k buyout to leave Real Madrid; Cavs, Warriors emerge as NBA suitors

Mario Hezonja announced this week that he would pay the buyout clause allowing him to leave Real Madrid for the NBA. The move raised suspicions at the club, as neither the player's destination was known nor had he paid the €850,000 required to exit his current contract with Madrid.

Hezonja's decision to return to the NBA became clearer after LeBron James' choice was revealed. James selected the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving two other teams—the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors—without the league's biggest star.

With those two teams now having the necessary funds available, they have emerged as the primary candidates to sign Hezonja, who has drawn interest with his desire to return to the American league after six years.

Main Candidates

This information was first reported by ESPN journalist Shams Charania, who cited well-placed league sources. Charania reported that the Cavaliers and Warriors are the leading contenders to sign the Croatian forward.

Both teams face salary cap issues and luxury tax constraints that make signing a high-cost player difficult. They view Hezonja as a strong option to acquire an experienced player familiar with the NBA, who can be signed for a salary within their budget.

Hezonja decided to return to the American league midway through last season after changing agents and exploring his future options. The departure of coach Sergio Scariolo was another trigger for Hezonja to leave Madrid, despite having a multi-million dollar contract that runs until 2029.

NBA Experience

The 31-year-old Croatian has played a total of 335 games in the NBA with the Orlando Magic (the team that drafted him), the New York Knicks, and the Portland Trail Blazers. After a solid career in the United States, he returned to Europe and won the EuroLeague with Madrid in 2023, with additional opportunities to win again in 2024 and 2026.

His outstanding season with Madrid earned him recognition as MVP of the season, though his team suffered an embarrassing playoff exit against La Laguna Tenerife, which knocked them out of the title race in the quarterfinals.

Now, all indications point to Hezonja securing an NBA contract, putting aside speculation that the move might have been a ploy to escape his Madrid contract and sign with another team via a short-term deal in the United States.