Miami Heat fans were left baffled when the franchise sent Haywood Highsmith packing to the Nets in a clear salary dump that gave the Heat next to nothing in return.
But what the Haywood move did was also set up a training camp battle between two younger players who are hoping to step up and take the minutes Haywood just left behind.
Pelle Larsson and Jamie Jaquez Jr. to battle it out in training camp
Highsmith left behind about 25 minutes a night that need to be filled for the 2025-26 campaign. The two players who seemingly are going to vie for those minutes are Pelle Larsson and Jamie Jaquez Jr.
On paper, JJJ would be the prime candidate to step up and get the increased role. He's going into year three, he's actually longer than Highsmith, and if he can make any kind of natural progression we thought he was going to make this past year, he can morph into a really effective role player for the Heat.
But Jaquez Jr. didn't progress in 2024-25 because his catch-and-shoot ability, as well as his ability to hit wide-open shots in general, just wasn't good enough.
This has opened the door for Pelle Larsson to continue the momentum he has created this summer and parlay it into an increased role if he can win this battle.
The mid-second round pick from 2024 is entering year two after a ho-hum rookie campaign that saw him average 4.6 points per game. It was a perfectly fine year for someone of his draft stature, but then Larsson took off during Summer League and outshone guys like Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis.
He then went to Europe for the EuroBasket Tournament and had a great run with Sweden, helping lead them to the knockout round while averaging 19 points per game.
Summer League and EuroBasket success doesn't automatically translate into NBA success, as there are plenty of tales of summer heroes who are never heard from again.
But if Jaquez Jr. isn't careful coming into training camp, those minutes that most seem to think he is going to get might just drift to Larsson if he loses the battle.