Before the season began, the Orlando Magic were trying to move Mario Hezonja. Literally, they were trying to give him away essentially for free. The team just wanted to be rid of his contract and give him the chance to start over fresh. The former fifth overall pick had disappointed in just about every way.
Last year, he made just 29.9 percent of his 3-pointers. It was a mix of a lack of playing time — that he struggled to earn with his poor play — and a bothersome knee injury that sapped much of his athleticism throughout the year. He never really could figure it out and never could get quite right.
The Magic ended up declining his team option when they could not find a deal for him.
The good news might be that Hezonja has played himself into some value with a stellar run of late as the Magic have been hit with injuries. Entering Wednesday’s game, he is averaging 7.8 points per game and hitting a comfortable 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. At the very least, Hezonja has turned into a decent rotation player. One that should get some more time to develop.
The question is how much will someone pay him? And then are his Bird Rights worth acquiring in a trade or should a team just go after him in free agency? Those are bigger questions. But Hezonja has at least regained some inherent value again.
