The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Mario Hezonja could be a buy-low candidate in free agency

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 24 : Mario Hezonja #8 of the Orlando Magic looks on against Philadelphia 76ers during game at the Wells Fargo Center on February 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 24 : Mario Hezonja #8 of the Orlando Magic looks on against Philadelphia 76ers during game at the Wells Fargo Center on February 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images /
facebooktwitterreddit

The former top-five pick could be a valuable addition to the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench.

As free agency draws closer, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ focus will be placed on the likes of LeBron James and Paul George. Brett Brown has repeatedly emphasized their desire to add another top-flight player, which means cap space and roster spots are at a premium.

With that said, they’ll also be searching for more complimentary pieces — especially if any big-name additions fall through. Mario Hezonja should be one of the many players on their radar.

The former No. 5 pick in 2015, Hezonja has always had NBA talent. An underrated athlete with smooth shooting mechanics, he flashed impressive upside during his time with Barcelona overseas. Sadly he ended up in Orlando, which doesn’t normally work out for high-end talent.

More from Free Agency

Jokes aside, Hezonja has been through a tumultuous three years in Disney World. After putting up mediocre numbers during his rookie campaign, he took a noticeable step back in year two. That led to Orlando declining his team option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As short-sighted as that move was, Hezonja is now coming off a relatively successfully junior year. He wasn’t great, but showed promising flashes in an increased role. The potential for a long NBA career is definitely there.

In 22.1 minutes per game, Hezonja averaged 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 33.7 percent from three-point range. Over the last 10 games of the season, those numbers bumped up to 13.9 points and 5.6 boards per game, all while shooting 37.7 percent from deep.

Spending long chunks of time at power forward, Hezonja’s ball-handling ability allowed him to attract mismatches with regularity. He’s capable of taking slower defenders off the dribble, flashing soft touch at the rim and much-improved passing chops when driving the lane.

It’s easy to picture him upping his game even further in Philadelphia. Spending time in postionless rotations around Joel Embiid, his ability to hit spot-up jumpers would be maximized on the receiving end of Ben Simmons passes — likely resulting in more consistent percentages.

He’d also give the Sixers another player capable of attacking closeouts and creating dribble penetration, something they lacked in the postseason. Add in his improved defense toward the back end of the season, and he could carve out an important role off the bench.

How much Hezonja commands on the open market will be intriguing. He showed improvement last year, but is still coming off three uneven NBA seasons in which he hasn’t fully found his rhythm. Given that his struggles have come on a subpar Orlando team, there’s a good chance that his contract will be on the cheaper side.

The lack of available cap space league-wide should only help the Sixers in that regard. There won’t be teams looking to shell out significant long-term cash to gamble on Hezonja’s upside, opening up the door for a team like Philly to steal him on a low-end deal that allows him to compete in the playoffs.

Next: 3 players Sixers might regret passing on in draft

If the Sixers find themselves in the race for LeBron and PG13, Hezonja is probably off the table. If their hopes of attracting one of the superstars get dashed early, though, Dario Saric‘s Croatian National Team teammate should be on their list of potential targets.