The Orlando Magic have declined the fourth-year option on forward Mario Hezonja, the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, league sources told ESPN.
Hezonja, 22, will become an unrestricted free agent in July. The option would've guaranteed Hezonja $5.2 million in the 2018-19 season.
The Magic had discussed several trade scenarios in the past several months, including conversations with the Sacramento Kings over the weekend, but no deal materialized, league sources said.
The decision to allow Hezonja to become a free agent next summer has a mutual benefit for a new front office who didn't draft him, and a player and agent who are eager for a change of scenery and a chance to prove that Hezonja can justify the interest that exists for him elsewhere.