The Miami Heat’s starting shooting guard spot has turned into a familiar kind of roster puzzle: defense versus shooting, with Pelle Larsson caught in the middle of the debate. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson bring the spacing, while Larsson brings the kind of defense that can change a possession on its own. And even though sliding him out of the starting five would be a tough call, the better move might be to hand him the sixth-man job and let his game breathe.
That idea makes plenty of sense when you look at what Larsson already is. He’s a 6-foot-5, 212-pound wing with a near 6-foot-8 wingspan, explosive athleticism, and enough film to make you believe there’s more coming. He defends hard across multiple positions, gets up for finishes above the rim, and flashes enough shot creation and playmaking to suggest his ceiling still hasn’t been fully tapped.
The offense is where the opportunity gets interesting. There’s room for Larsson to keep expanding his game, but early in the season the wings are likely to run through Andrew Wiggins first. Wiggins, a former All-Star who played a major offensive role on a championship team, gives the Heat a player they can trust to create his own shot and stretch the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
That setup could make Larsson the best fit for the second unit, where he’d have a chance to handle more on-ball responsibility and keep sharpening his jump shot, shot creation, and playmaking in a bigger offensive lane.
His 2025-26 season already hinted at real growth. Larsson averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 offensive rebound, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 three-pointers made in 26.4 minutes per game. He also took a clear step forward in efficiency, improving from a 2024-25 slash line of .438/.337/.672 to .496/.323/.797.
The shooting efficiency jump was especially notable. Larsson moved from .528 to .586 on two-point field goals, raised his eFG% from .517 to .551, and climbed from .546 to .605 in true shooting percentage.
On a per-36 basis, the production looks even stronger. Over his 2025-26 campaign, the 25-year-old put up 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.3 offensive boards, and 1.2 made threes per 36 minutes.
That’s the kind of line that makes you wonder how far the offensive ceiling can go, especially after he boosted his per-36 scoring by 4.0 points and his assists by 1.6 between his rookie and sophomore seasons.
There’s also a simple basketball reason the bench role could fit. Playing next to Antetokounmpo means fewer isolation reps and fewer chances to hunt shots as a primary creator. Antetokounmpo has averaged 18.7 field goal attempts per game over the past nine seasons and hasn’t finished a year with a usage rate below 32.0 since 2018-19, when he was at 31.4.
That kind of star gravity changes the shape of the offense. If Larsson comes off the bench, he can get more touches and a larger role as a creator for himself and others. The other side of that move would also help the second unit, since whoever doesn’t start between Hardaway and Thompson would add shooting there, while Nikola Jovic, Bobby Portis Jr., and Nick Richards would be trusted to anchor the frontcourt.
For Larsson, the sixth-man path may be the one that asks the most of him - and gives the Heat the clearest read on just how high his game can climb.
In Other News...
Heat Still Have One Backcourt Decision Fans Will Debate
With training camp getting closer, Miami still has one standard roster spot open, and that alone keeps the conversation around the backcourt lively. DAngelo Russell is one possible fit, bringing the kind of veteran combo-guard presence that could give the Heat another layer of scoring behind a projected point guard rotation that already includes Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith and Tre Donaldson.
Russells path to this point has been a little unusual, with a player option for the 2026-27 season already on the books and a recent trade from the Memphis Grizzlies followed by a move to the Washington Wizards, where he has yet to appear. For Miami, the question is whether the added shot creation and depth outweigh the need to leave flexibility on the roster, a decision that could shape how the Heat sort out their guard minutes once camp opens. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Just Lost A Key Piece Of Their Development Pipeline
After 22 seasons in Miami, Eric Amsler is leaving the Heat for a new role with the Lakers, where he has reportedly accepted an assistant general manager position. Amsler has been part of the organization in a range of scouting and personnel jobs, including work with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, making him one of the more familiar faces in the teams long-running development pipeline.
For the Heat, the move is more than a front-office departure because it comes from someone who helped shape how the organization identifies and develops talent at multiple levels. Los Angeles is in the middle of an ownership transition and has been beefing up its scouting operation, so Amslers experience fits what the Lakers are trying to build. Miami, meanwhile, loses a veteran evaluator who spent a generation inside its system. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Are Taking A Real Risk With Pelle Larsson
The Heats handling of Pelle Larsson has become a quiet subplot as they look ahead to the 2026-27 season, and it is the kind of roster decision that can age quickly. Miami has not extended him yet, even though there is already a case for doing it before his price tag climbs, especially if his development takes a leap and the market starts treating him like more than a project.
There is belief inside the organization that Larsson can keep growing, which is part of why the situation is worth watching. But as Ira Winderman has noted, waiting carries a real risk for Miami, because a promising season could turn an affordable forward into a much more expensive one before the Heat get around to locking him in. [Read more 🡒]