Heat player who will shock NBA world with breakout 2026-27 season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s not quite championship-or-bust yet for the Miami Heat, but they’re as close to that status as they can get. After all, the expectations for the Heat are through the roof after they brought in two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo via a blockbuster trade. Antetokounmpo has had so much appreciation for the Heat’s vaunted culture that landing in Miami was one of the main priorities for him this offseason — with his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, doing him a service.
But at the end of the day, the Heat paid a heavy price to bring Antetokounmpo in. They parted ways with Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis to go along with three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033), a first-round pick swap (2030), and a second-round pick (2033).
The Heat did a good enough job of replacing the depth they lost, as they added veterans Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson to serve as floor-spacers in a Giannis-centric offense. Getting Bobby Portis back in the Giannis trade was also an underrated part of that transaction. Moreover, they came to terms with Andrew Wiggins on a contract extension, securing the services of one of their most important role players through at least the 2027-28 campaign.
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However, the difference between finishing in the middle of the stacked Eastern Conference pack and finishing as one of the best teams in the conference may boil down to the progression of the team’s less heralded names.
Here is one Heat player who might be poised for a big 2026-27 campaign.
Heat fans better invest in some Pelle Larsson stock
Heat Culture is famous for pushing players to their physical limit, giving them an advantage on that side of the ball when the games start to count. This culture that promotes incredible work ethic has also made a habit of unearthing some diamonds in the rough. The likes of Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent all played their best basketball with the Heat, and that’s no coincidence.
This is the exact reason as to why the Heat organization is so confident in being aggressive on the trade market. They can afford to trade away their more established rotation options as they replace them with players they develop out of nowhere. And the next man up for Miami following their offseason dealings is very clearly Pelle Larsson, the 44th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Larsson played 70 games last season and started 54 of them. Considering how his draft class is widely-viewed as one of the worst in recent history, the fact that the Heat were able to turn a second-round pick of theirs into a starting-caliber player is a borderline miracle.
Last season, Larsson impressed, averaging 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 26.4 minutes per contest. He also shot nearly 50% from the field (49.6), which suggests that he is wise with his shot selection and plays within himself.
The Heat lost two high-volume usage players from the perimeter in Herro and Norman Powell, which could lead to a career-high in usage rate for Larsson next season. After all, opposing defenses will be zeroed in on defending the paint, what with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo sharing the frontcourt. This should leave plenty of space from the perimeter for someone like Larsson to pick his spots and take advantage.
Larsson will have to bump up both his volume and efficiency from beyond the arc, which is not the easiest to do. Last season, he shot 32.3% from three on nearly three attempts per game. While defenses can’t exactly leave him open, they will have to if it meant walling up Miami in the paint. It’s up to the 25-year-old wing to knock down his shots and command the opposing team’s respect, which would then free up space for the team’s stars to do the bulk of their damage from the interior.
The 25-year-old wing also shouldn’t have too much competition for minutes, as he fills a role as an active defender and a bit of a pest — allowing the Heat to lean into a bruising identity to annoy opponents. Hardaway is not the best defender. Thompson, at 36 years of age, has declined considerably and is now nowhere near his best.
A combination of elevated importance as well as a clear pathway to a starting role and heavy minutes would indicate that Larsson might be in for a big season. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra clearly trust him as well, which means the world.
The Heat have recognized Larsson’s importance to the team; they signed him to a four-year, $60 million contract extension that kicks in next season, which says it all regarding his importance to this franchise’s contending hopes.
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