Mario Hezonja contract with Cavs includes trigger date for full guarantee

The Cavaliers’ deal with Mario Hezonja comes with a little extra flexibility.

According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Hezonja signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract that becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on Cleveland’s roster beyond Nov. 15. His salary for the season is $2.8 million.

The agreement was first reported earlier this week by ESPN, with the Cavs officially announcing the signing Friday after several days of paperwork and international clearance issues involving Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid.

Those delays sparked plenty of speculation overseas, with reports questioning whether Hezonja had properly exercised the NBA-out clause in his Real Madrid contract. None of it changed Cleveland’s plans.

As Hoops Wire previously reported, the Cavs always expected the 31-year-old forward to be part of next season’s roster. The structure of the contract gives the organization some early-season flexibility, but all indications are that Hezonja is expected to earn a regular role after Dean Wade departed in free agency.

The former No. 5 overall pick returns to the NBA after six successful seasons in Europe, most recently starring for Real Madrid. He was named Liga ACB MVP last season after averaging 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists while helping one of Europe’s premier clubs remain among the continent’s elite.

The Cavs, meanwhile, continue to explore additional ways to strengthen the wing position, with Jonathan Kuminga, Peyton Watson and DeMar DeRozan among the players who have been linked in recent weeks.