The Miami Heat’s summer has revolved around the search for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s fit, but the team’s next leap may also depend on a much less flashy name: Pelle Larsson.
Larsson is the kind of player who can sneak up on a roster if the growth keeps coming. He already took a real step last season, jumping from 4.6 points per game as a rookie to 11.4 in his second year. The former second-round pick out of Arizona has shown enough progress that Miami could eventually view him as its third option behind Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
There’s also a physical change to note. Like teammate Davion Mitchell, Larsson spent the summer in the gym, and his social media pages show how much he has bulked up. That added strength could matter for a player whose value is tied to versatility, since he can line up at either shooting guard or small forward.
Miami’s roster situation makes that development even more important. The Heat paid a steep price to bring in Antetokounmpo, who arrives from the Milwaukee Bucks with a championship in 2021 and two MVP awards from a Hall of Fame-level career. In the process, Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis are gone from Miami.
The Heat also spent weeks chasing another major name after LeBron James decided to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and enter free agency. Miami believed it had a chance, but James ended up with the Philadelphia 76ers, joining Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid and instantly changing the picture in the East.
That turn has left Miami still looking around for help. The team has reportedly shown interest in DeMar DeRozan, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal and other veterans. If none of those options come through, Larsson could be pushed into a much bigger role than anyone expected when the offseason began.
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Heat Face A Sneaky Roster Decision After The Giannis Trade
The Heats post-Giannis roster picture is still settling, and the biggest immediate concern may not be the star power at the top but the depth underneath it. With the bench thinned out and a few openings still to work with, Miami has a chance to add someone who can help stabilize the back end of the roster while fitting the way the team likes to develop talent.
That search appears to be headed toward the two-way market, where Miami has room to be selective about both upside and readiness. The franchise is weighing options who have recent pro or summer-league experience and the kind of profile that could make sense on a team trying to keep its rotation flexible, even after a blockbuster move reshaped the entire roster. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Still Have One Big Giannis Problem To Figure Out
Erik Spoelstra is already talking about the sort of adjustment period Miami has to plan for with Giannis Antetokounmpo, because getting a superstar plugged into a new system is never as simple as dropping him into the lineup and letting the talent sort itself out. The Heat are trying to build the right structure around him, and that means thinking not just about usage, but about the supporting cast, the spacing and the habits that let one of the leagues most dominant players do what he does best.
The point guard picture is part of the puzzle, too. Davion Mitchell is projected to open as the starter, with Dru Smith and Tre Donaldson behind him, and Miami is still considering whether to add another guard to help settle things down. With key three-point shooters gone from last season, the Heat also have to find new sources of floor spacing as they try to develop the kind of lineup balance that can make Antetokounmpo comfortable and dangerous over time. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Camp Battle Could Decide Which Young Talent Gets Left Out
Training camp is shaping up as a real sorting exercise for the Heat, with the roster still leaving room for late decisions and a few young players trying to carve out a place. Miami already has 12 players confirmed, and the mix of two-way guys and free agents around the edges means the final spots are going to be earned, not handed out. For a team that tends to value fit, defensive reliability and developmental upside all at once, even a back-end roster battle can carry real weight.
Vlad Goldin, Tre White and others will get evaluated with that in mind, because the Heat are not just filling space, they are trying to decide which player can actually contribute if called upon. The conversation is less about headline names than about which prospect best matches what Miami needs from the last openings on the roster, and the answer could leave one promising young talent on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]