Real Madrid made official the signing of Mario Hezonja, a 27-year-old small forward with experience in the NBA and Europe, for the next two seasons. The Croatian player, who played for Unics Kazan this season, had become a priority for the white team, who were looking for a proven forward who could lend a hand in the inside game. And Hezonja fulfilled that profile and ended his contract with the Russians.

Besides carrying the experience of five campaigns in the EuroLeague, Hezonja previously displayed his talents in Spain’s Liga Endesa as a youngster with Barcelona. After being selected by Orlando Magic with the fifth overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft, he spent the next five seasons in the NBA. In 335 games played, he produced 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per contest.

His first stop after returning to Europe was in Greece with Panathinaikos. Following that, he made the decision to relocate to Russia last summer. He is coming off a standout season with UNICS, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per VTB game. He averaged 14.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in the EuroLeague before his team's participation was suspended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict.