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Miami Heat should avoid Mario Hezonja in free agency

By Duncan Smith

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: Mario Hezonja #8 of the New York Knicks dunks against the Miami Heat on January 27, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: Mario Hezonja #8 of the New York Knicks dunks against the Miami Heat on January 27, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Almost half the NBA’s players will enter free agency in July, meaning there will be a plethora of choices for the Miami Heat. One such option is Mario Hezonja.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, most of what the Miami Heat will have at their disposal in the form of asset acquisition this summer once free agency begins will come in the form of veteran minimum contracts, their mid-level exception (MLE) and bi-annual exception (BAE).

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, a player who could be seeking one of these lower-level contracts should be Mario Hezonja, an upcoming free agent from the New York Knicks. Last season, the 24-year-old Hezonja signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract with the Knicks, and it’s hard to say he lived up to that deal.

He appeared in 58 games, starting 24 of them and averaged 8.8 points in 20.8 minutes per appearance. Hezonja was expected to be a shooter when he was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the fifth-overall pick in 2015, but that promise has yet to pan out as he had shooting splits of .412/.276/.763 last season, and splits of .417/.321/.866 in his career.

Hezonja struggled as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll, being one of the worst high volume scorers at a woeful .651 points per possession (PPP) on 152 possessions, and he scored just .625 PPP in isolation. He scored just .836 PPP in all jump shots, and he was in the 14th percentile in catch-and-shoot situations with .800 PPP.

He was in the 7th percentile around the basket, scoring just .843 PPP, and his runner was remarkably ineffective with just .630 PPP which placed him in the 18th percentile.

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Even when it comes to taking a low-risk, high-upside flyer on a young player, there simply isn’t enough value to roster Mario Hezonja. Regardless of the opportunity that presents itself, the Miami Heat should go out of their way to avoid this situation.

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