Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) reacts after sinking a three pointer late in the fourth quarter to seal the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during their NBA basketball game at Kaseya Center in Miami on March 12, 2026.
The Miami Heat’s disappointing season has included a few bright spots. The improvement and growth of guard Pelle Larsson might be the biggest bright spot of them all.
While the Heat faces the likely possibility of needing to qualify for the playoffs through the NBA’s play-in tournament for the fourth season in a row, Larsson’s quality two-way play as a complementary player in some of the Heat’s top lineups has provided a positive twist to an otherwise underwhelming season for the team up to this point.
Larsson has established himself as one of the Heat’s most essential and reliable players in his second NBA season, logging double-digit minutes in 63 of the past 64 games he has been available for this season ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. The Heat has outscored opponents by three points per 100 possessions with Larsson on the court this season.
“Being an enhancer in every lineup, that’s just a credit to the way he plays,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Larsson. “He does all the effort things, he does all the intangibles, he does all the little things. That, of course, will work with any lineup. Every lineup needs energy, effort, and he provides that.”
Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) drives the ball as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) defends in the first half of their NBA game at Kaseya Center on Feb. 28, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner [email protected]
Larsson, who was selected by the Heat with the 44th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, has shown improvement across the board in his second NBA season.
Larsson entered Tuesday averaging 6.7 more points (11.3 points per game this season compared to 4.6 points per game last season), 1.8 more rebounds (3.5 rebounds per game this season compared to 1.7 rebounds per game last season), 2.2 more assists (3.4 assists per game this season compared to 1.2 assists per game last season) and 12.1 more minutes (26.3 minutes per game this season compared to 14.3 minutes per game last season) this season than his rookie NBA season. He’s also shooting 50% from the field, 32.2% from three-point range and 79.2% from the foul line this season.
“Just find a way, figure it out.,” Larsson, 25, said of earning more playing time in his second NBA season. “I think that’s like, honestly, my biggest strength my whole career is just being able to figure out any team that I’m on, like which way I can help that specific team. And that’s gotten me minutes and opportunities to grow and become better. So, that’s really my strength, just figure out what works.”
Larsson has also thrived while playing in two different roles this season, showcasing his versatility and ability to play in different lineups. He has made 52 starts and played 15 games off the bench this season.
Among all the second-round selections in the 2024 Draft, Larsson entered Tuesday ranked third in minutes played per game this season behind only Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells and Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski. Larsson is the only one of the three doing it for a winning team.
“Pelle is undeniable, you can’t take him off the floor,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat remaining in Toronto following Tuesday’s contest to again take on the Raptors on Thursday to complete the two-game set.
“He’s that example that we talk about. Make us watch you, then make us have to play you, then make us have to move things to make sure that you’re getting out there and playing and not going in a different direction. So he’s been really a plus in whatever lineup he’s been in. I think that shows his versatility. And he’s pretty much cemented himself in the rotation regardless of where that is.”
Larsson has made a positive impact while being used in an off-ball role on offense through his cutting ability, physicality, effort and energy. He entered Tuesday tied for the ninth-most charges drawn in the NBA this season, while averaging 11.3 points and 3.4 assists per game despite posting the fifth-lowest usage rate (an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while on the court) on the team among the Heat’s 15 players on standard contracts.
“He does the little things, the little detailed stuff that lot of times it doesn’t show up,” Heat captain and three-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo said. “Pelle can impact the game having two points, 15 or 20. So when you have a guy like that, that’s always going to be in the positive, it doesn’t matter what he scores.”
Larsson’s stock is definitely up this season, which matters because he becomes eligible to sign an extension worth up to $93 million over four years this summer.
Larsson has one more season left on his first NBA contract, and it’s a team option worth $2.3 million for next season. Larsson becomes eligible to sign an extension with the Heat starting on July 6 after the Heat picks up the option in his contract ahead of the June 29 option deadline, and the window to sign an extension remains open until June 30, 2027.
Larsson’s situation is just one of a few important extension decisions that the Heat’s front office will need to address in the coming months. Norman Powell is eligible for an extension from the Heat until June 30, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyler Herro become eligible for extensions this upcoming offseason.
“Just being consistent, reliable,” Larsson said of how he views his role with the Heat. “On defense, not getting beat too many times and messing up things. Like really, I’m a relief player a lot of times. Like relief points on the offensive end and don’t allow any relief points on the defensive end. So, stay locked in and then get some cheap ones on the offensive end.”
This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 9:59 AM.
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Anthony Chiang
Miami Herald
Anthony Chiang covers the Miami Heat for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and was born and raised in Miami.
