I love numbers, especially when they're amounts of money that I will never touch (or really desire to have). Contract numbers happen to be some of my favorite numbers. As it pertains to the Miami Heat, there is much that will factor into their season and heading into the future.
Let’s talk about them.
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo get extended before the end of the season?
The biggest and most important question for the Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes extension-eligible on January 6, 2027. I’d be shocked if the Heat get anything but a four-year supermax extension from Giannis.
The Heat trading all the assets they did for Giannis and not getting him to commit long-term would be nothing short of a complete and utter disaster. Pat Riley would not have made the trade if there was not a clear indication that Giannis would be signing long-term.
With that being said, Giannis has two likely options: exercise his player option at the end of the season and get a three-year, $214 million extension, or decline his player option and sign a four-year, $275 million contract. And I think he will take option No. 2 before the end of the season to prevent any distractions from the Heat’s goal of a championship.
Will the newly extended Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic be worth their contracts?
Nikola Jovic’s fate seems to be sealed at this point, as a decision the Heat wish they could have back. But I see it very differently.
Was Jovic terrible last season? Absolutely. But he showed plenty of potential just one season before that.
Now, with a team that has less young talent than they did last season, Jovic has a chance to separate himself and show that he’s still capable. However, if he falters again, he will almost assuredly be used as trade bait.
In Pelle Larsson’s case, I don’t think he will be worth his contract this season (key: this season). He was paid as a long-term asset, and understandably so.
I don’t expect him to start this season, but the 2027-28 season will likely see Larsson becoming the long-term starting shooting guard for the Heat. By that point, his contract will be a bargain.
Will Davion Mitchell price himself out of a new contract with the Heat?
Unfortunately, I think this is a resounding yes. Mitchell has been great over the last two seasons, and this season will likely get far more attention around the league now that the Heat are serious contenders.
If he keeps up his strong offensive output and consistent tough defense, teams will be clamoring to steal him from the Heat. The contracts he would likely garner from other teams are probably too much for a Heat team that will have to be very careful financially while building around two max players in Bam Adebayo and Giannis.
Of course, he is the perfect point guard for an Erik Spoelstra-coached team, and the Heat will and should do everything to keep him around. I just don’t think it will be possible.
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