So with the fact that LeBron James has joined the LA Lakers taking over the entire NBA world, one piece of free agent news that may have slipped past you is the fact that Orlando Magic player & former 1st round, 5th pick: Mario Hezonja had decided to sign a 1-year, $6.5 Million deal with the Portlan – I mean the New York Knicks!

Let's CORRECT that: NEW YORK has agreed to a deal with Hezonja, league source tells ESPN. https://t.co/h3Gz5HOca1 — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2018

Hezonja even took to twitter stating that the reason he joined the Knicks was partly because of the new head coach implemented by Scott Perry & Steven Mills; David Fizdale.

Start spreading the news…I want to be a part of it, New York,New York! Very excited to be joining the Knicks and play for coach Fizdale! A dream come true!! #betterhairdaysareahead pic.twitter.com/V7JfOUc9ob — Mario Hezonja (@mariohezonja) July 2, 2018

Hezonja also makes a parting joke about stealing the thunder from Lebron James’s decision to join the LA Lakers stating;

Hezonja was drafted by the Orlando Magic back in 2015 & is from Croatia but injuries have derailed his career at Orlando. This might seem like a classic Knicks signing to you but Hezonja was a lottery pick for a reason.

Hezonja is a 6’8 215lb dynamic small forward who has a silky smooth jumper, hits the three consistently with a .337 percentage which is a dramatic increase compared to his sophomore season percentage of .299. Hezonja is also explosive off of his feet showing that he has a athletic looking takeoff for dunks & even is a decent passer when he handles the ball.

Knicks fans should be excited that they nabbed a guy like Hezonja who is still young enough to have a high upside & potential instead of thinking he’s just a throwaway piece. If Hezonja can stay healthy while reaching his own potential as a player because you cannot forget that player development does take time – Victor Oladiplo was in the league for 5 years already before he blossomed into the All-Star he is today; then the Knicks may have a special player on their hands.