Washington State Professional Athletes

Pelle Larsson Is Staying in South Beach — and Getting Paid

Washington State's most prominent NBA product just secured his financial future. Pelle Larsson and the Miami Heat agreed to a $60 million contract extension this week, cementing the guard's role on one of the Eastern Conference's most retooled rosters heading into the 2026-27 season.

The timing is no accident. Miami spent the summer aggressively remaking its roster around Bam Adebayo and newly acquired two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, adding veteran firepower in Klay Thompson, Bobby Portis, and Tim Hardaway Jr. In the middle of that high-profile overhaul, the Heat made it clear Larsson isn't just a roster filler — he's a piece they wanted to keep locked up long-term.

The Rotation Picture

Larsson's extension doesn't guarantee him a starting role, but it does guarantee he'll be fighting for meaningful minutes. According to Sports Illustrated, the most competitive position battle heading into Heat training camp is the rotation spot behind Thompson — and it comes down to Larsson and Hardaway Jr. That's significant company for a former Cougar, and it speaks to how far Larsson has come as a pro.

The broader Heat roster — Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, Thompson, Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Portis, Hardaway, and Larsson — has drawn sharply divided opinions around the league. Gilbert Arenas went to bat for Miami as the East's No. 1 seed, pushing back on ESPN's skepticism about the team's ceiling. An ex-NBA center took the opposite view, calling Miami's offseason the most overrated in the league. Either way, Larsson will be playing on a team that's the center of the NBA conversation before training camp even opens.

What This Means for the Cougars

For Washington State fans, Larsson's extension is a milestone moment. The Cougars don't have a long list of active NBA contributors right now — Mouhamed Gueye is developing with Atlanta, Isaac Jones is with Detroit, and Jaylen Wells is working his way into a role with Memphis — but none of them are signing eight-figure extensions on a championship-caliber roster.

Larsson is the clear standard-bearer for WSU alumni in the league right now. A $60 million commitment from a franchise that just brought in Giannis isn't a consolation prize — it's a signal that the Heat view him as a genuine piece of what they're building, not just a depth chart placeholder.

The Cougars have long operated outside the traditional power-program pipeline, which makes moments like this one worth noting. When a player from Pullman earns guaranteed money on a title contender, it matters — both for the program's recruiting narrative and for the alumni base watching from the Palouse.

Training camp will tell the full story of where Larsson fits in Miami's rotation. But the contract tells the most important part: the Heat already made up their minds.

Klay Thompson's Fresh Start: From Mavericks Buyout to Heat Contender

Washington State's most decorated NBA alumnus is betting on South Beach for his career's third act.

Klay Thompson, the five-time All-Star who spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors before a one-year stint in Dallas, has signed with the Miami Heat following his buyout with the Mavericks. The deal is a two-year contract worth approximately $11.5 million, with the second season carrying a player option — a modest pact that speaks more to what Thompson is chasing than what he could command.

What he's chasing is Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Miami landed the two-time MVP in the offseason's biggest blockbuster trade, then added Thompson to address a glaring perimeter shooting need around their new centerpiece. The Heat also brought in Tim Hardaway Jr. as part of the retooling, signaling a serious push to return to contention after years of roster flux.

The Thompson-Giannis pairing has already generated genuine buzz — and genuine content. Photos circulated this week of Antetokounmpo, Thompson, and Heat teammates aboard a boat during a team bonding trip, with Thompson apparently serving as host. Heat fans have already christened the Wazzu product with a new nickname: "Biscayne Klay," a nod to the Miami waterway. Thompson, for his part, has embraced it enthusiastically.

The chemistry-building optics are good. The basketball logic is straightforward: Thompson remains one of the most dangerous off-ball shooters in league history, and spacing the floor around an Antetokounmpo-led offense could revive both his game and Miami's ceiling. The Heat's front office is still actively working to address a thin point guard situation before training camp opens, but the foundational pieces around Giannis are in place.

Thompson arrives in Miami carrying some personal-life turbulence as well — his high-profile relationship with artist Megan Thee Stallion ended this summer, with the singer publicly criticizing him. He's spoken about Miami representing a fresh start, on and off the court.

Jaylen Wells Holds His Spot in Memphis

While Thompson dominates the Coug alumni headlines, fellow Washington State product Jaylen Wells quietly figures into another franchise's rebuild story.

The Memphis Grizzlies, now operating in a post-Ja Morant era after trading the star guard to the Portland Trail Blazers, drafted Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 overall pick and are building around a young core that includes Wells at small forward. The Grizzlies received positive news on center Zach Edey ahead of training camp, adding to a cautiously optimistic outlook for a team that tore things down and is now stacking pieces back up.

Wells doesn't headline the Grizzlies' rebuild narrative, but his presence on the roster as a developmental piece in a youth-heavy rotation is worth tracking for Cougar faithful.

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Between Thompson's high-profile Heat chapter and Wells grinding in Memphis's rebuild, Washington State has alumni on opposite ends of the NBA's contender spectrum heading into 2026-27.

For Washington State alumni tracking the NBA, the most compelling storyline of the week has nothing to do with the regular season — it's happening in South Beach, where former Cougar Klay Thompson is reassembling a familiar partnership.

Thompson, now in his 12th NBA season, signed with the Miami Heat on a two-year deal worth just over $11 million — a notable financial haircut that signals championship intent over payday. And his former Golden State Warriors running mate Andrew Wiggins, already on the Heat's roster, isn't hiding his excitement.

A Reunion Built on Receipts

Wiggins and Thompson won an NBA title together with the Warriors, so when Wiggins calls his new-old teammate "1-of-1," it carries some weight. Speaking publicly about the pairing, Wiggins offered a "special" prediction for what the Heat can accomplish in 2026-27 — stopping short of spelling it out, but letting the implication do the heavy lifting.

"He knows exactly what Thompson brings," is essentially the editorial summary of Wiggins' comments across multiple outlets this week. That's not hype manufactured for a media cycle — it's familiarity earned over a championship run.

Thompson's Personal Mission in Miami

Beyond the team-building narrative, Thompson arrived in Miami with a specific individual target: Duncan Robinson's franchise three-point record. The four-time NBA champion — considered the fourth-greatest three-point shooter in league history — was caught on a Heat video asking about the record he intends to break. It's a telling detail. Thompson isn't just looking for a soft landing; he's treating this as unfinished business.

The broader Heat roster context makes the optimism less far-fetched than it might sound. Miami landed two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in what was widely called the offseason's biggest move, then layered in Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and center Nick Richards. The Heat also re-signed Wiggins, keeping the Warriors reunion intact. That's a legitimate contender being assembled, not a vanity project.

The WSU Connection

Thompson is the headliner here for Cougar faithful — a first-round pick out of Pullman who has since built a Hall of Fame résumé — but his move to Miami also gives Washington State an unexpected foothold on one of the league's most-watched rosters heading into the season. With Giannis anchoring the frontcourt and Thompson and Wiggins operating as proven championship contributors in the backcourt, the Heat are drawing genuine title conversation before training camp opens.

For a program like Washington State, which doesn't always see its alumni clustered on marquee franchises, having Thompson at the center of one of the offseason's biggest stories is a notable moment. And with Wiggins publicly endorsing the team's ceiling, the reunion has the feel of something more than nostalgia — it looks, at least from the outside, like a calculated run at another ring.

The NBA season is still weeks away. But in Miami, the storyline is already written. Now Thompson and Wiggins just have to play it out.

Klay Thompson is done chasing rings in Dallas. The Washington State alumnus agreed to a buyout with the Mavericks this week and quickly signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Miami Heat — a lean deal that speaks loudly about his priorities heading into the 2026–27 season.

The move instantly became one of the offseason's defining storylines. Thompson, a four-time NBA champion, passed on what reports indicate was a push from the Los Angeles Lakers — including a pitch to play alongside Luka Dončić — and chose Miami instead. His father, Mychal Thompson, shed light on the decision, explaining that Klay prioritized a situation built around winning rather than market size or money. Thompson himself confirmed as much, saying publicly he chose the Heat because he wanted a genuine opportunity to compete for a title.

The Giannis Factor

The Heat's recent acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo was central to Thompson's calculus. He spoke enthusiastically about teaming up with Giannis and Bam Adebayo, and pointed to coach Erik Spoelstra as another major draw — a belief that Miami's system and culture were the right fit for what he brings at this stage of his career. Thompson has embraced comparisons to Ray Allen's late-career run with the Heat, calling out the parallel himself and saying he appreciates the historical echo.

Early returns on the vibe check: Thompson noted that Miami's climate already has his joints feeling good — a lighthearted but telling sign that he's comfortable in his new surroundings.

Shade Thrown, Expectations Set

Thompson didn't leave Dallas quietly. After the buyout was finalized, he took a pointed shot at the Mavericks organization, making clear his tenure there didn't go as hoped. The departure closes a difficult chapter following his exit from Golden State.

Meanwhile, former teammate Draymond Green offered a more cautious take. Green pushed back against what he called inflated media expectations, warning that setting the bar too high for Thompson in Miami was a setup for unnecessary criticism — drawing the Ray Allen comparison himself as a model for what realistic success looks like. Green also raised questions about how Thompson's personality would mesh with the famously demanding "Heat Culture."

Those concerns haven't tempered Thompson's own ambitions. He set high expectations for himself and the team ahead of next season, and the Heat's front office appears to be building around the moment — the team also added center Nick Richards to shore up frontcourt depth following the Thompson signing.

The Bigger Picture for Cougar Alumni

Thompson remains the most prominent Washington State alumnus in the NBA, and this move keeps him squarely in the championship conversation. While Mouhamed Gueye (Hawks), Isaac Jones (Pistons), and Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies) continue to develop on their respective rosters, Thompson is operating in an entirely different stratosphere — betting the final chapter of his career on one more run at the title.

If Spoelstra can deploy him the way Doc Rivers once deployed Allen, the comparison may end up being less cautionary tale and more blueprint.