The Heat listed Pelle Larsson as day-to-day Friday with an illness ahead of the preseason game at Orlando, but Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports Larsson is expected to play. The designation keeps him in the mix for Friday's 7:00 p.m. ET matchup rather than ruling him out.
What happened
The Heat listed Pelle Larsson as day-to-day Friday with an illness, filed under an "other" designation, ahead of Friday's preseason game at Orlando, which tipped at 7:00 p.m. ET. The report does not list a previous status for Larsson. Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported that Larsson is expected to play against the Magic despite the illness designation. The report also lists an expected return date of Oct. 21 for Larsson. No additional detail on the illness is included in the report.
What it means for the Heat
Miami's next game is Friday's preseason matchup at Orlando, the same game tied to the illness designation, with the Heat at 0-0 since the 2026-27 season has not started. Larsson gave Miami 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists over 26.4 minutes a game across 70 appearances last season, a steady guard role off the rotation. If he sits, the Heat lean more on Tyler Herro (31.3 minutes, 20.5 points), Davion Mitchell (28.6 minutes, 9.3 points) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (28.3 minutes, 15.4 points), with Bam Adebayo (32.4 minutes, 20.1 points) and Andrew Wiggins (30.3 minutes, 15.4 points) also absorbing time. There is no regular-season record with or without him yet.
What to watch
The Heat will update Larsson's status on the next injury report. That report lists an expected return date of Oct. 21 for Larsson. Miami continues its preseason schedule before opening the 2026-27 regular season, and the next report will clarify whether the illness clears in time for him to keep his spot in the rotation at guard.
Is Pelle Larsson playing vs Magic?
Larsson is day-to-day with an illness, but Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports he is expected to play in Friday's preseason game against Orlando.
When will Pelle Larsson be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 21.