Mario Hezonja reaches buyout with Barcelona, will join Magic for 2015-16

Fans of the Orlando Magic won't have to wait long to see what they have in Mario Hezonja.

Drafted with the No. 5 overall pick on Thursday, Hezonja has worked quickly to ensure his immediate future involves the NBA. The 20-year-old Croatian has reached a buyout with Spanish club Barcelona, according to a report from David Pick, and is set to join the Magic for the 2015-16 season.

The team confirmed the news Monday.

There was initially some speculation as to whether Hezonja would spend another season in the Spanish ACB league, the second-best league in the world. Hezonja's agent had expressed confidence through the weekend that the 6-foot-8 swingman would be headed stateside despite Barcelona possessing a four-year option on his contract.

The buyout was originally believed to be $2 million but Pick reports the sides settled on $1.4 million, a nice outcome for the rookie. The Magic are allowed to contribute $625,000 toward the buyout, per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, leaving Hezonja's camp on the hook for $775,000. As the No. 5 pick, Hezonja stands to earn a shade over $3.7 million this season, so he almost surely comes out ahead here.

This is great news for the Magic, who can add Hezonja to the young core of Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton, Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and restricted free agent Tobias Harris, should he return. With Scott Skiles at the helm and several intriguing pieces, the Magic stand to be formidable at the defensive end. Hezonja should inject an element of offensive creativity and, more importantly, star potential that's somewhat lacking elsewhere on the roster.

A long, strong, and explosive player, Hezonja has good range on his jumper and an aptitude for finding shots all over the floor. You can read more about him in our full scouting report.