Orlando Magic: 2017-18 player grades for Mario Hezonja
By Luke Duffy
Final grade
For all of Hezonja’s improvements this season, it may ultimately come tinged with sadness because the Magic didn’t pick up the team option on his contract before the season started.
You couldn’t fault their thinking then; his trade value was probably that of a second round pick. But he is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and you couldn’t blame him if he wanted to leave.
It would be typical of where the Magic are as an organization if that happened, especially after waving goodbye to Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris in recent years.
Should he stick around, however, he would enter next season as a key rotation player for the team, possibly slotting in to that sixth man role depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out.
That really tells you all you need to know about how Hezonja’s 2017-18 season went. An afterthought to begin the year, 75 games and 30 starts later, he could be a sixth man.
The Magic might have been down virtually all their best players because of injury, but somebody had to step up and take the opportunity.
That person was Mario Hezonja, one of the few feel-good stories of the Orlando Magic and easily the surprise package of their dreadful year.
Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft
Grade: B-