MIAMI – The Miami Heat’s NBA draft two-step was completed Thursday with the second-round selection of Arizona guard Pelle Larsson.
The move came a day after the Heat selected 7-foot Indiana center Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 pick in the first round.
While the Heat were announced as selecting Serbian wing Nikola Durisic at their No. 43 slot, that pick was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for cash and the No. 44 pick, which was utilized on Larsson.
A 23-year-old senior who played his first collegiate season at Utah before three at Arizona, Larsson is a 6-foot-5 guard from Nacka, Sweden, who has experience with his national team.
Larsson is a catch-and-shoot player who moves well without the ball, with an ability to play as a lob target in transition.
Larsson, a 2023-24 second-team All-Pac-12 selection as a senior, is one of seven players since 1996-97 to record at least 1,200 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals
while shooting at least 49% from the field and 39% from the 3-point line in a career. He was 2021-22 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore. He led Arizona with a team-best plus/minus of +412 this past season.
Per NBA.com’s scouting report, “Larsson already looks the part of an NBA player who should be capable of holding his own on the defensive end. However, his biggest asset lies on offense, as he’s emerged as a reliable shooter, both in catch-and-shoot and off-ball situations. Due to his athleticism and strong frame, he’s a threat when finishing at the rim, but there’s a strong chance his offensive game at the next level will rely primarily on his shooting ability. Larsson can also thrive in pick-and-roll situations, particularly as the ball-handler due to his excellent vision. Larsson can potentially fulfill the role of a secondary ball-handler at the NBA level, though he’d thrive even more as a catch-and-shoot alternative with enough athleticism to attack the rim if given enough space. Defensively, he should be ready to make an impact at the next level since he’s a shooting guard with the build of a small forward, though he doesn’t profile to be a difference-making presence on that end of the floor.”
It is the first time the Heat exited the draft with multiple additions since taking Tyler Herro in the first round in 2019 and acquiring KZ Okpala in the second round that year.
As a second-round pick, Larsson is eligible for up to a four-year contract, which typically comes at the NBA rookie minimum. Unlike with first-round picks, contracts for second-round players do not have to be guaranteed.
This was the first year the NBA staged the draft over two days, with Wednesday night’s first round held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Thursday’s second round at ESPN’s New York studios.
Next up for the Heat is Saturday’s player-option deadline for Caleb Martin, Kevin Love, Josh Richardson and Thomas Bryant Free agency then opens at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Among the Heat’s free agents are Haywood Highsmith, two-way players Jamal Cain, Cole Swider and Alondes Williams, as well as any of the aforementioned players who opt into free agency by their Saturday deadline.
The Heat then will convene in San Francisco next week for the first of their two summer leagues, going from the California Classic on the Golden State Warriors’ court to the larger Las Vegas Summer League that features all 30 NBA teams.
Selected ahead of the Heat’s pick in the second round were San Francisco center Jonathan Mogbo to the Toronto Raptors, Duke center Kyle Filipowski to the Utah Jazz, G League guard Tyler Smith to the Milwaukee Bucks, Marquette guard Tyler Kolek to the New York Knicks, Kansas forward Johnny Furphy to the Indiana Pacers, Spanish guard Juan Núñez to the San Antonio Spurs, Swedish forward Bobi Klintman to the Detroit Pistons. Santa Barbara guard Ajay Mitchell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington guard Jaylen Wells to the Memphis Grizzlies, Marquette center Oso Ighodaro to the Phoenix Suns. UCLA center Adem Bona to the Philadelphia 76ers and Colorado guard KJ Simpson to the Charlotte Hornets.
Still on the board when the Heat selected were Houston guard Jamal Shead, Arizona forward Keshad Johnson, Minnesota guard Cameron Christie, Kansas forward Kevin McCullar Jr., Kentucky guard Justin Edwards, Connecticut guard Cam Spencer, Cameroon forward Ulrich Chomche, North Carolina forward Harrison Ingram, French guard Melvin Ajinça, Baylor forward Jalen Bridges, Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves, Connecticut guard Tristen Newton and Southern Cal guard Bronny James,
Adebayo appreciative
In the wake of a reported agreement on a three-year, $166 million extension with the Heat, center Bam Adebayo appeared Thursday at a Kaseya Center news conference that had been called to address his impending departure for Team USA training camp in Las Vegas ahead of the Paris Olympics.
While questions about the extension were put off limits by the team due to such extension agreements formally not allowed until next month, Adebayo did address his relationship with the team that drafted him in the 2017 first round.
“Being here seven years going on eight has just been nothing but love,” Adebayo said. “Obviously not only from the fans, but from the organization as a whole. They took a chance on a kid who people didn’t think was that good. To turn around and see where I am now, it kind of puts it in perspective for me, the organization, and a lot of people doubted us.”