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Mario Hezonja Trade Talks
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated09 Oct 2023
Orlando has explored the trade market on former No. 5 overall pick Mario Hezonja, league sources told Basketball Insiders. The Magic must decide whether to exercise his fourth-year $5.2 million team option by 11:59 PM Eastern Time today.
The Sacramento Kings and Magic discussed a swap of Malachi Richardson and a second-round pick for Hezonja but trade talks stalled recently, league sources told Basketball Insiders.
Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic have kept tabs on Hezonja since the 2015 draft process. Sacramento nearly selected Hezonja, but Orlando selected him the pick before. Instead, Sacramento chose Willie Cauley-Stein with the sixth pick in that draft.
Hezonja has shot the ball well through the first six games of the season in limited action. The 22-year-old is shooting 50 percent from the field overall and 63 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 4.5 points in 13.0 minutes per game.
Richardson was selected No. 22 overall in the 2016 draft and is averaging 6.0 points in 13.3 minutes per game. Sacramento will pick up the 21-year-old’s third-year team option, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune.
For more information on Sacramento’s salary cap situation, click here.
Sources: Kings and Magic discussed a swap of Malachi Richardson and a second-round pick for Mario Hezonja, but trade talks stalled recently.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 31, 2017
Sources: Orlando has explored the trade market on Mario Hezonja. The Magic must decide on his fourth-year $5.2 million team option by today.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 31, 2017
