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Jan 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) reacts to being called for a foul as teammate Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) pleads his case with referee Simone Jelks (81) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat's Best Contract this Season

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Austin Dobbins | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The Miami Heat have long been known for their ability to find talent at any point in the draft, make the most out of their players, and find role players that overplay their value.

In the current Collective Bargaining Agreement role players are becoming increasingly important. Many of the last NBA Champions have had six mans that exceed their contracts, role players that play into bigger roles, and players that play at a high level on a cheap contract.

One of the NBA's Best Contracts

So when asking which contract is the best for the Miami Heat, there could be a discussion to be had, we could talk about Norman Powell who made the All-Star team on a $20 million dollar contract, it could be Davion Mitchell who is a defensive anchor, and winning player at $11.6 million dollars, or it could be the easiest answer of all, Pelle Larsson who is making $1,955,377 dollars, the Miami Heat's cheapest standard contract along with Keshad Johnson.

The second year player gave us a glimpse of what he was capable of last season, but now has transformed into a winning player, following the Christian Braun and Alex Caruso prototypes.

Pelle Larsson, picked 44th, has more career win shares than all but 8 first-round picks from his year.

And one of those is Kel'el Ware, who is second in win shares in the class.
— Five Reasons Sports ⚾️⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) January 21, 2026

The Miami Heat are better when Pelle plays. Per 36 minutes he is averaging 15/5/5 with a steal per game. Miami has a winning record when he starts, he is an energizer, and he is a smart basketball player.

Drive, Finish, & Kick

In a recent article by Couper Moorhead, he points this out about Larsson's game:

Among 147 players who have logged at least 200 drives this season, Larsson ranks No. 10 producing 1.16 points per. That does include Larsson’s assist opportunities, so he’s getting credit for whether or not players make a three when he drives and kicks out, but as part of that we also have to consider that he’s only turned the ball over on 5.6 percent of his drives. Other words, the playmaking he’s doing is not coming at great risk. Part of that is the current offensive system simplifying the decision making process on the move.Moorhead

Larsson's drives have been a crucial part of his game this season, his ability to get to the free throw line, finish through contact, and drive and kick have been huge for the Heat's offense this season, especially in their fast-paced style. Similiar success has been found from Jaime Jaquez Jr. who has had his drives down the paint coined as the "Jaime Highway"

Pelle's archetype directly contributes to wins, and for him to be making less than $2 million a year is huge for the Heat. In many redrafts he goes from a late second rounder to a mid first rounder, he is praised by Erik Spoelstra, and embraces "Heat Culture".

Erik Spoelstra spoke on how much growth Pelle Larsson is doing each month ranging from his production on the floor, his confidence, to his voice in the locker room. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/PzeoHWqWjz
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 2, 2026