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Should the Miami Heat extend Pelle Larsson?

Apr 7, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) controls the ball as Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) defends during the first quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

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Should the Miami Heat extend Pelle Larsson?

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Major Passons | Last updated May 20, 2026 7:00 AM ET

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It did not take long for sophomore guard Pelle Larsson to become a fan favorite -- whether that be because his face is a magnet and constantly getting hit or by his tenacious play on the court.

Miami Heat fans seem to moslty love Larsson. This is for good reason because he also produces on the court and the team overall has performed better by the numbers when he is in the game. He is the ultimate connector and makes any lineup run seamlessly. His impressive play has made some people consider him a key part of the Heat’s future as a role player with his skill set is vital to any team.

This brings up the question: should the Heat extend their Swedish second round gem?

Larsson is coming off a phenomenal sophomore campaign in which he averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a game. He shot 49.6% from the floor but still struggled from three shooting just 32.3% from downtown.

From his rookie season his free throw numbers jumped massively as well, which is important for a team that at times can struggle getting to the line. He shot 79.7% this season compared to just 67.2% last season and tripled his free throw attempts per game from 1.1 to 3.3 per game. This is no fairy tale or biased thinking; Larsson made a big jump. He deserves to get rewarded for his good play at some point; the question is when.

This offseason some questions will be answered about Larsson’s future in Miami as they have three primary options.

The Miami HEAT have some decisions to make on Pelle Larsson this offseason

According to @IraHeatBeat , Miami has three options:

1)Pick up his $2.3 million team option for next season

2) Decline the option and make him a restricted free agent with a $5.9 million qualifying… pic.twitter.com/JvSs1vTSwQ
— Heat Diehards (@HeatDiehards) May 17, 2026

Decline team option and let him his restricted free agency.

As a part of his rookie contract Larsson has a team option for this next season. This is why at least some decision has to be made about his future. Letting Larsson become a restricted free agent would only be a viable choice if you planned to match any offer he receives. Larsson would certainly gain interest from around the NBA, so the question would just be what the number is. This is my least favorite of the three possible options, because it takes any control out of the Heat’s hands. They are at the mercy of what other teams decide.

Sign to long term extension now

As mentioned previously Larsson is eligible to get an extension now and theoretically could get an extension of 4 years $92.8million. Honestly, I do not think this number is likely and the Heat could extend him at a lower number. He was an elite role player and showed exactly how he can be valuable to an NBA team, but there should be no rush to get a deal done that you make a bad deal. The Heat were in a similar situation with Nikola Jovic and did end up extending him, and well we all saw what he did this past season. Ultimately agreeing to a long-term extension now would not be the worst move, but certainly not the choice I would choose right now.

Pick up his team option.

We have arrived at the clear-cut best choice for Miami in this scenario. Larsson is an excellent and valuable role player for Miami that clawed his way into the starting lineup then played so well no one wanted him to leave it. Getting this type of player at $2.3 million for next season is a steal. Now this could “backfire” and Larsson plays well, making his ultimate extension more expensive.

This though would be a great problem to have. First, that means he played so well to raise the asking price and proved he can continue this level of play. Second, you still have flexibility this season, while figuring out if you have the player, you think you do. The Heat needs to avoid bad contracts more than anything. In this new CBA bad contracts can greatly hinder a team. So even if it ultimately makes an extension more expensive, waiting to make sure you in fact have the player you think you do is of most importance.

This article first appeared on Miami Heat on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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