Croatian forward Mario Hezonja has informed Real Madrid that he plans to return to the NBA for the 2026-27 campaign, according to Spanish journalist Chema de Lucas.
Hezonja, 31, was selected fifth overall in the 2015 draft and last played in the league with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2019-20 season. Over 330 NBA games, he averaged 6.9 points in 18.5 minutes per contest.
The veteran swingman joined Real Madrid in 2022 after single-season stops with Panathinaikos (Greece) and UNICS Kazan (Russia). His current contract with the Spanish club runs through 2029, but league sources told Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews that the deal includes an NBA out clause worth roughly $850,000—standard for international players moving to the United States.
Urbonas previously reported that Hezonja accelerated efforts to secure an NBA comeback following Real Madrid’s decision to part ways with head coach Sergio Scariolo, a former NBA assistant. Hezonja remained in Spain last spring despite receiving “serious” NBA interest, later helping Los Blancos reach the 2025-26 EuroLeague championship game and earning Liga Endesa regular-season MVP honors.
Multiple NBA clubs have again expressed interest this summer, attracted to Hezonja’s positional size, skill set and what scouts describe as improved off-court maturity.
Source: HoopsRumors
