When the Miami Heat sent Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets in a pure salary dump move, it left a number of Heat fans looking around, going "Huh?" While the overall ceiling for Highsmith was still low, he was an improving player who provided value on the defensive side and was on the positive side of +/- in 2024-25.
However, one of the reasons Miami management may have been okay with sending Highsmith on his way was the improved play of a player who figures to be the beneficiary of increased minutes in 2025-26.
Pelle Larsson's strong summer sets him up for a larger role
Lost in the Kel'el Ware drama from Summer League was the play of Pelle Larsson. After averaging 4.6 points per game off 14.2 minutes a night during his rookie campaign, Larsson made the most of his summer stint with the Heat.
In five games over the summer, Larsson averaged 17.4 points per game to go along with 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.
He has also been working with the Swedish National Team in preparation for the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.
When you start mapping out what Miami's rotation could look like for Miami this year, it wouldn't be shocking to see Larsson get 20+ minutes a night for the Heat in 2025-26.
Even though Highsmith is listed as a forward and Larsson is listed as a guard, both are listed as essentially the same size (6'5" and 215 pounds). Given the makeup of Miami's roster, Larsson probably slots in as an undersized 3, depending upon how much small ball the Heat wants to go with.
The basic reality is that compared to Highsmith, Larsson was cheaper, younger, and given the past summer he had had, he had the higher upside even with the progression Highsmith had.
It's a brutal business sometimes, but Miami's management saw the potential Larsson showed this past summer and decided to put its eggs in his basket for the foreseeable future.