The Miami Heat have plenty of money tied up in a reshaped roster, but the contracts on the books are not all pulling the same weight. With Giannis Antetokounmpo now in Miami, the Heat finally have the kind of centerpiece that changes the math for everyone else. That makes the value of the supporting cast even more important.
At the top of the list sits Pelle Larsson. He is scheduled to make just $2.3 million in 2026-27, and for a 25-year-old who impacts the game on both ends, that kind of number is hard to beat.
The source material calls him the kind of player that helps teams win Championships, and Miami is expected to need him to anchor the bench. With the Summer Larsson is having, another leap seems inevitable.
Andrew Wiggins comes next as the contract with the biggest chance to turn into a bargain. He is set to earn $30.17 million in 2026-27, but that figure falls sharply after this season, dropping to $16.35 million in 2027-28 and $17.65 million in 2028-29.
If Wiggins stays healthy and keeps defending, hitting shots and bringing athleticism on the wing, Miami could end up with one of the better veteran deals in the league over the next few seasons. The added flexibility that would come with that only sweetens it.
Giannis, of course, is the headliner. His $58.46 million salary for 2026-27 is only seventh among the NBA’s highest-paid contracts, despite the fact that he is a top-three player in the league.
The payoff is obvious: he gives Miami a franchise-altering star who can power an offense, steady a defense and lift the level of everyone around him. It is an expensive contract, but the production attached to it makes it one of the better values on the roster.
Klay Thompson lands in the mix as a relatively low-cost veteran piece. He is due $5.6 million in 2026-27, with a $5.88 million player option for the following season.
At 36, he is no longer the All-NBA force he once was, but Miami does not need that version of him. What the Heat do need is shooting around Giannis and Bam Adebayo, and Thompson’s floor spacing could matter a lot.
His championship background adds another proven playoff presence, and while there are questions about how much he has left, the upside at this price clearly outweighs the risk.
Davion Mitchell rounds out the five. He is set to make $12.4 million in 2026-27, and the Heat can live with that figure because of what he brings: defense, ball-handling and stability in the backcourt.
With Giannis and Bam shouldering much of the offense, Miami does not need Mitchell to play like a star. It just needs him to keep doing the things that make him valuable.
The bigger picture is simple. Miami has its superstar.
Now it needs affordable players who can grow with him and handle real roles without creating future financial headaches. Larsson’s deal stands out as the best fit for that plan.
In Other News...
Gabe Vincent's Next Move Could Reopen An Awkward Lakers Decision
The Heat may still have one more familiar name in mind as they sort through their final roster options, and Gabe Vincent sits near the center of that discussion. A return to Miami would bring back a guard who already knows the system, the city and the expectations, while giving the front office a low-cost way to add depth before camp gets going. Brett Siegel has reported that a reunion looks likely, with Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra both said to be in favor of it.
Vincents path to this point has already taken another strange turn, after Los Angeles moved him to Atlanta. Now the possibility of a minimum deal with Miami could put the Heat back in the kind of roster conversation that often defines late summer: whether a trusted old fit is worth the spot, and what it means for the team that let him go in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Face A Tricky Pelle Larsson Decision Much Sooner Than Expected
Pelle Larsson has spent the summer giving the Heat plenty to think about, and not just because of the way he finished last season in Miami. The second-year guard also turned in a strong showing for Sweden in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, adding to the sense that his upward trajectory is no fluke and that his game is continuing to translate in bigger roles.
All of that makes his next step unusually important for Miami, which is expected to face a restricted free agency decision on him sooner than many around the team probably anticipated. The Heat are believed to value Larsson as part of their future core, and the most likely path appears to be a multi-year extension, though the real test will be how quickly both sides can settle on terms. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Role Players Suddenly Matter Much More In The Giannis Debate
Giannis Antetokounmpo changes the conversation in Miami almost instantly, and not just because of the superstar name attached to the trade. The bigger question becomes how the rest of the roster fits around him, and in that sense Andrew Wiggins, Simone Fontecchio and Pelle Larsson suddenly carry a lot more weight than they did before. Each brings a different kind of utility, from Wiggins two-way versatility to Fontecchios shooting and Larssons ability to make life easier on the floor.
For the Heat, that mix matters because Antetokounmpo does not need every possession to start and end with him. He needs players who can defend, space the floor and keep the workload from piling up over the course of a season. Wiggins, Fontecchio and Larsson all profile as the sort of complementary pieces who can help make that possible, which is why their value looks a lot different in this version of the roster than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]