New York Knicks: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Signing Mario Hezonja

As free agency started up, the Knicks were not looking into making a big splash like they did last year by signing Hardaway Jr. to a massive deal. With the 2019 free agency class including big names like Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler, they opted to wait until then.

Still that didn’t stop them from taking chances on players with potential. During the early part of free agency, New York signed former fifth overall pick guard/forward Mario Hezonja to a one-year, $6.5 million deal.

Hezonja, who was drafted in 2015 by the Orlando Magic, never really worked out for them as he struggled with getting playing time and producing in his three years there. Last year, Hezonja enjoyed his best season in Orlando, averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds on 44.2 percent shooting. He is a capable NBA player who can play multiple positions and make shots when he’s feeling it.

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Hezonja is only 23 years old and with the Knicks starting Michael Beasley and Courtney Lee at small forward last season, this gives Hezonja a chance to start and show his worth in a contract year. This move could allows the Knicks to bring Knox off the bench to start the season if they don’t plan to play him as a small-ball 4. This pickup is somewhat risky as Hezonja has not lived up to his top-five billing, but is also a safe pick as he is still very young and full of untapped potential on a one-year contract.

Upside is something that is used to describe “Super Mario.” In his three years with the Magic, he showed spurts of offensive excellence and a deadly jumper. Since the deal is only for a year, Hezonja should have extra motive to play well and he is in a situation where he will potentially get ample amounts of playing time.

The Knicks took a flier on Mario Hezonja because he’s young and showed promise on the offensive end. Though he isn’t a strong defender and is mainly a scorer, he can provide depth and shooting for a team that struggled shooting the ball from deep last year. This is a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Knicks heading into the season.

Grade: C