Right now, I'd argue that both Jackson and Hezonja aren't NBA rotation players (with the caveat around Hezonja's recent signs of life, which still haven't resulted in good efficiency nor winning basketball), but I'd argue that Hezonja isn't worth the effort looking at the stats alone:
- His shooting accuracy is still below average-to-poor from the 3P land compared to other wings - and he was drafted with the promise of being an athletic shooter. For a team that needs to space the floor (Fox will still likely not be a good shooter next year), this is a mark.
- He's still not good at drawing fouls and is a below average rebounder for a wing, especially considering his height. Consider this team has weakness in both of those areas, this would only add to the effect.
Qualitatively, he had a bad reputation coming into the league (work ethic, behavior, off court habits), and this continued across multiple coaches. He's also been knocked for his lack of basketball IQ both before and after being drafted. There's some good film analysis out there that covers both time periods.
If I were, say, a franchise with a bit more stability and minutes available if earned, I'd maybe take a one-year flyer on Hezonja given his recent improvement. But when you're a franchise like the Kings, and you have glaring weaknesses in statistical areas and a lot of other players needing close watch/development, it's simply not a good mix. I'm all for buying low and selling high (and really hope we don't start dumpster diving again like we did under the waning Maloof years), but I'd do a hard pass on this guy.
