The Miami Heat selected Pelle Larsson out of Arizona with the 44th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Larsson is 23 years old, stands at 6-foot-5, has a 6-foot-7.8 wingspan and weighs 212 pounds. He is a good shooter and a promising on-ball defender. Among those still on the board, he was perhaps the most proven.
Higher upside guys like Tyler Smith and KJ Simpson were off the board. Miami took a player who knows his role and has tools that are valuable in Miami. Larsson can come into the league and can make threes (42.6% from three this past season) right away.
Larsson is a sneaky athlete who is a lob threat on the break, is a solid defender who fights through screens and knows where to be on the court. I'd like Larsson to improve his handle because he does show flashes when attacking the rim. He's a willing passer as well. Larsson will get a lot of reps as part of Miami's G League affiliate as he develops.
Here are his best-case and worst-case player comp scenarios.
Best-case scenario: Grayson Allen
Grayson Allen and Pelle Larsson have similar builds. They stand at 6-foot-5 and have similar wingspans (Allen 6-foot-6, Larsson 6-foot-7). Larsson's jump shot is identical to Allen's.
It's a slower release, but when he has time to get their shot off, there is a good chance the ball is going in. Allen led the NBA last season in three-point shooting at 45.8%. If Larsson can even get close to that shooting percentage, then Miami got a steal.
Since entering the league, Allen has improved every year. He has worked on his handle well enough to attack the rim. Larsson has the tools to be a similar player to Allen.