While the Miami Heat are coming off another disappointing season, there were a few bright spots worth mentioning. (Mandatory Credit: Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
This Miami Heat season felt quite synonymous with iterations over the last five years: A directionless, rudderless swirl of mediocrity. This year, however, the Heat’s season ended before the postseason even began, snapping its six-year postseason streak, getting bounced in the 9-10 play-in game to the Charlotte Hornets.
That said, that doesn’t mean there weren’t any positive developments — individually. Who were a few?1 Let’s examine!
(Mandatory Credit: Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Skinny: In just his second season, Larsson broke out and developed into one of the Heat’s most important rotation players. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 49.6 percent shooting and 60.5 percent true shooting.
Larsson wasn’t incredibly disruptive defensively — but still was one of their best point-of-attack defenders, where he was oftentimes deployed on an opponent’s best or second-best shot creator. No matter the role he was thrust in, Larsson impacted the game positively; he’s been remarkably malleable since his days at Arizona. And that’s all you can ask from a role player.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.:
(Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Skinny: Coming off a disappointing sophomore slump in 2024-25, Jaquez bounced back emphatically in 2025-26. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 57.0 percent true shooting.
Jaquez was a primary benefactor from the Heat’s new offense, especially since he developed more counters inside of 15 feet. As one of the team’s best slashers, ballhandlers and playmakers, his season was a huge positive from where it ended the year prior.
Kasparas Jakucionis:
(Mandatory Credit: Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Skinny: The Heat, understandably, slow-rolled Jakucionis into his rookie season. His positional size and skillset made him an incredibly intriguing prospect, but he still needed to refine his ball-handling before making the jump to the NBA.
Jakucionis, 19, emerged as a consistent rotation player post-All-Star break, and showcased plenty of positive developments. In his final 27 games, he averaged 8.1 points across 19.9 minutes on 49.6/44.2/88.4 shooting splits. His playmaking was as advertised, while his defense and 3-point shooting shattered any expectation.
He should be viewed as the Heat’s point guard of the future, bar none — even though he still has to improve as a ballhandler, advantage creator and finisher.
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