The Miami Heat have a big offseason ahead, but there’s still time to review what happened this season! To continue with our Miami Heat player review series, we delve into guard Pelle Larsson.
Past Player Reviews:
- Bam Adebayo
- Simone Fontecchio
- Myron Gardner
- Tyler Herro
- Kasparas Jakucionis
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.
- Keshad Johnson
- Nikola Jovic
Brief Overview:
2025-26 stats (70 games):
- 11.4 PPG
- 3.5 RPG
- 3.4 APG
- 49.6 FG%
- 55.1 eFG%
- 60.5 TS%
Larsson’s numbers as a rookie didn’t do him enough justice. He had a quality rookie season, though his playing time was fairly sporadic. In 2025-26, he broke out. Larsson averaged career highs in essentially every statistical category, starting in 54 of the team’s 70 games as a result of Tyler Herro’s health. He was one of the Heat’s best point-of-attack defenders, secondary playmakers and play finishers throughout the season, blossoming into one of their most consistent rotation players.
Numbers to note:
2.8 – Fouls per 75 possessions
Larsson had an objectively bad whistle as a rookie, though that’s commonplace for neophytes in the NBA. Dating back to his days at Arizona, he’s always been physical. His fondness for contact was one of his endearing traits, but that resulted in a lot of fouls; he averaged 4.8 per 75 possessions as a rookie.
In 2025-26, he adjusted; Larsson was still very physical at the point-of-attack, but he trimmed down the fouls by two per 75, averaging just 2.8, the sixth-fewest on the team. He did a better job of moving his feet instinctually, putting himself in a better position to defend in space. His face did catch the brunt of it, but it was for a good cause.
70.3 – Field goal percentage at rim
Larsson saw a steady increase in both his effective field goal and true shooting percentages as a sophomore. And the biggest reason for that was his rim efficiency. The 6-foot-5 guard converted rim attempts at a 70.3 percent clip. That number ranks in the 75th percentile of all wings and it’s the second-best mark on the team (min. 100 FGA), per Cleaning The Glass.
82 – Games he needs to wear a mask next season
Larsson’s face may be made of steel, but he should probably wear a mask moving forward — for nothing more than his safety.
Best Game?
Larsson’s best game came on March 12 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Larsson poured on a season-high 28 points with six rebounds, six dimes and one steal on 9-of-14 shooting and 2-of-3 from 3-point range across 38 minutes.
What’s next?
You could make a case that Larsson is the Heat’s best contract right now. He’ll be on the books for $2.3 million next season (team option), though that’s almost certainly going to be exercised. He’ll also be extension eligible this summer.
Heading into his third season, Larsson must continue to improve his shooting. His still sat in the low 30s for 3-point percentage, but elevated his free-throw percentage to 79.2 percent on relative volume, suggesting that improvement beyond the arc could come sooner rather than later. It’s also important he continues to grow as a ballhandler and passer — two leaps he made in 2025-26.
I’ve said since he was drafted: He’s the ultimate glue guy. Larsson is a championship-caliber role player; the Heat, however, is nowhere near a championship-caliber team, though. If they can take the proper steps toward getting there without consolidating Larsson, I’d feel much better about their short- and long-term direction.
***
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Check out Hot Hot Hoops on Facebook here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
- Could a reunion with LeBron James be in the cards for the Miami Heat this summer?
- What can Heat offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer?
- 2026 Miami Heat Mock Draft Roundup: May 14
- Former Heat champion doubts franchise’s ability to build champion around Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Heat reportedly considered as potential trade suitor for Donovan Mitchell
- Bam Adebayo confidently ranks himself as a top-two big man in the league
- 3 low-cost trade targets to address Heat’s biggest need
Pelle is definitely one of the young pieces that needs to be included in Miami’s future plans. Every team is looking for a hard working, jack of all trades glue guy. Pelle would make any team’s rotation better. DO NOT TRADE!
Riley has a reputation of not placing any value on keeping second round picks. From 2016-2025, Miami gave up all but one of its second round picks. The Heat has frequently used their second-round picks to facilitate other trades, most notably in 2019, when Miami traded three future second-round picks for the draft rights to KZ Okpala.
Miami returned to selecting in the second round by acquiring the rights to Arizona guard Pelle Larsson. It was the first time since 2015 (Josh Richardson) that Miami kept a second round pick. See below:
Here are a few of the players who were drafted by other teams in the second round during the period 2015-2025:
Miami acquired a 2026 second round pick from Charlotte in order to resolve it’s trade dispute over the Terry Rozier trade. It is the only second round pick the Heat will have until 2033.
Here is where Miami Heat’s future second-round picks/swaps are committed based on current trading data:
If this is not mismanagement, I don’t know what is.
lebron thats as good a post as any sportswriter covering the heat can make .hard to believe jb was a second rounder .
Thanks Heat. I can’t pass up an opportunity to throw out something relevant.
The second round is “like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” Unless of course you don’t have a second round pick. then you know exactly what you’re gonna get. Nothing, Nada, Zilch, Niets, Nichts, Tipota, Nieko, Nič, NAFT!
Wow, another reason why we are where we are. A lot of those second rounders have been important complimentary pieces all around the league. Sure, many of the picks don’t work out, but when you’ve already given away so many of them and still our cupboard remains not bare, but far from fully stocked either, that’s another indictment of the job our GM is doing. Yes, second round picks aren’t a huge deal, but taken with all the other missteps this franchise has had in its recent past, this is adds to the growing amount of evidence of incompetence. I always say that once Riley is gone we will be immediately struck by how much improved the new GM will appear in contrast. It will be like night and day.
The reason Miami keeps looking in the trash heaps (undrafted and G League players) to develop is because year after year the Heat loses opportunities to find diamonds in the rough in the second round. Second round picks have a better chance of succeeding than unsigned players and those stuck in the G League. One second rounder in 10 years and only one in the next 7 drafts (the 2026 one Silver made Charlotte cough up for screwing Miami in the Rozier trade). That’s 2 second round picks in 17 years!!! WTF???
Pelle is one of the few things that went right last year. Already looks like he could be a key role player on a good team and who knows what his ceiling is. If he has another jump like this year, maybe we are talking about more than a role player.
-Averaged 3.3 FTA per game this year, on the Heat only Bam and Powell got to the line more
-In 4 of the 5 best three man lineups on the team (Bam-Larsson-Mitchell and Bam-Larsson-Powell were tied for a team best at +8.6)
-Lacks ideal length for a wing/3 at 6’5″/8’6″ standing reach, but compensates with quickness/strength/physicality. It’s possible to play elite wing defense in the NBA at those measurements (Jimmy Butler, Marcus Smart etc)
-Went #19 in a 2024 redraft article from bleacher report in February
Think Larsson could easily have the highest ceiling of Heat prospects. Of all the young/early career players, think he is the best bet to come back next year with a new part of his game. In the exit interview, driving/self-creation and 3PT shooting were the areas he said he would be working on this summer.
I agree with all the complimentary things you said about Pelle. It will be fascinating to see how good he could get.
The real miracle is how he kept his pretty face relatively undamaged.
Great player, great pick. The team played better with him starting. Thats the main sign oh his quality.
He needs to be extended.
He is a really good player. Solid, good defender, needs to improve his 3 point shooting. He’d be in the rotation of most, if not all teams.