By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Mario Hezonja had one more big season with Real Madrid, the “Whites” would want to extend his contract, their rivals Barcelona made a big offer and reportedly even got a deal, EuroLeague champions Panathinaikos was mentioned throughout the season as a possible destination, however, the Croatian forward may end up returning to the NBA.
Hezonja talked about “winning many titles in the coming years” with Madrid after winning the Spanish league title and almost at the same time according to Mundo Deportivo, he signed a deal to return to Barcelona, where he played between the ages of 17 and 20.
Meanwhile, Hezonja was also making contacts with the other side of the Atlantic, probing the possibility of a return to the NBA. The 5th pick of the 2015 NBA draft is in his prime at 29 years of age and he finished the season in the EuroLeague averaging 13,5 points per game, 4,6 rebounds, and one steal while shooting 43,1% in threes, a key number for today’s NBA game.
Eurohoops sources confirm the offer made by Barcelona with an annual salary of around 3 million euros net, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. Meanwhile, a newer report insists that Barcelona has decided to “close the door” to the player, even if there are reports about him having even signed a pre-contract.
That offer roughly translates to the equivalent of a $5M annual salary in the NBA and this might be his asking price for a return to the US.
At this point, Hezonja remains a free agent and it seems that he will wait on the NBA before taking any decision while competing with the Croatian national team in the Olympics qualifier, where he may end up facing Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the final for a spot in the Paris Olympics.