Croatian forward Mario Hezonja, the fifth overall pick of the 2015 draft, has informed Real Madrid that he’ll be returning to the NBA in 2026/27, according to Chema de Lucas (Twitter link). Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reported a couple weeks ago that Hezonja was actively seeking an NBA return in part because Real Madrid decided to part ways with head coach Sergio Scariolo, a former NBA assistant. Hezonja reportedly drew “serious” NBA interest last spring but decided to remain with Los Blancos. According to Urbonas, Hezonja has once again drawn interest from “numerous” NBA teams this summer. In addition to being intrigued by his “basketball tools and positional size,” Urbonas hears NBA clubs have given Hezonja positive reviews for his improved maturity off the court.