Pelle Larsson is heading into the season with a status no one else on the Miami Heat roster can claim. After agreeing to a new four-year extension worth $60 million, he also picked up a six-month no-trade restriction that stretches beyond the February NBA Trade Deadline.
So if Miami ever did decide it wanted to move him, that conversation would have to wait until next summer.
That alone tells you plenty about how the Heat view Larsson right now. He may not be untouchable forever, but for this season he is, by definition, the one player on the roster who can’t be traded. That kind of commitment suggests the team has real expectations for what he can become.
Those expectations will be in the air as soon as training camp opens.
Larsson’s rise has been fast. A second-round pick a couple of years ago, he has already worked his way into the mix as one of the more important role players on the team after just two seasons in Miami. There’s even a path, depending on how camp unfolds, that could put him in the starting lineup every night.
That’s not the most likely outcome. The more common view is that Larsson’s best value to the Heat this season will come with the second unit, where he can help lead that group. But the possibility of him starting is real enough to keep on the radar.
The bigger question is how far his ceiling can go. Even with the buzz around him and the early extension, Larsson still hasn’t had that clear breakout season yet. There’s hope, sure, but there’s also a lot of projection baked into the excitement.
Heat fans have seen how dangerous that can be. Nikola Jovic looked headed for a breakout year last season, only to fall short of those expectations. Injuries mattered, but even when he was available, he never quite made the leap people were waiting for.
That doesn’t mean Larsson is headed for the same result. It just means the Heat are taking a bet here, and they’re taking it early.
After getting burned on a similar kind of move last season, Miami’s willingness to lock up Larsson says a lot about the faith it has in him. For at least one year, he sits in a category all by himself: a Heat player who is truly untouchable on the trade market.
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Heat May Have A Late Point Guard Opportunity Worth Watching
Ryan Nembhards name has surfaced at an interesting time for Miami, with the guard now expected to be waived after being part of a three-player deal involving Atlanta and Charlotte. For the Heat, it creates a possible late backcourt opening to monitor as they continue weighing ways to add depth before camp, whether that means bringing in another body on a training camp look or moving straight toward a standard deal.
Nembhards appeal is easy to understand for a team that values organization and decision-making in the backcourt. He spent four seasons in college and then got his first NBA taste with Dallas, where he earned a standard contract and flashed some playmaking ability. If he does hit the open market, Miami will have to decide whether his upside is enough to make him part of the mix, and whether the fit is right before other teams get involved. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Wiggins Could Be Exactly What The Heat Need Again
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Wiggins has already shown he can matter on a contender, especially during the Warriors 2022 championship run, when his two-way value helped shape a title teams identity. The question for Miami is whether that version of him shows up often enough to matter over the course of the season, because the Heat do not need a flash of impact so much as dependable scoring, steady defense, and the kind of efficiency that makes the rest of the roster easier to organize. [Read more 🡒]
Heat May Have Given Up More In The Giannis Deal Than Expected
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade gave Miami the immediate jolt it was looking for, but the move also sent Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee, and that part of the deal is already drawing attention. The 20-year-old guard spent his rookie season in Miami showing a blend of efficient shot-making and defensive activity that made him look like more than a throw-in, even if his role was still limited.
Now in Milwaukee, Jakucionis appears headed for a bigger opportunity, which is exactly what can make the long view of a blockbuster trade tricky. His college and NBA tape point to a guard who can handle the ball, make plays for others and stay engaged defensively, so the Heat may eventually be judged not just on landing Giannis, but on how much young upside they were willing to include to get him. [Read more 🡒]