MIAMI — There are times, even with the expectation of riches, where NBA salaries can be sobering.

One such example for the Miami Heat came during the 2016 offseason, when Tyler Johnson acknowledged being overwhelmed by the reality that he had just received a four-year, $50 million contract.

“I threw up a couple of times when I heard the number go out there. I was in shock,” Johnson said at the time (with $50 million considered a lot of money in the NBA at the time).

Flash forward a decade to two weeks ago, when Pelle Larsson, a similar Heat developmental success story, signed off on a four-year, $60 million extension.

“I think I was pretty blank,” Larsson related of the magnitude of the moment not quite immediately registering. “I mean, it was not until later, I think, really, when I talked to my parents that they kind of made me realize how crazy it is.”

This is in no way typical for a player from Sweden, one who initially thought a college career would be the extent of his American achievements. Google NBA players from Sweden, and prior to Larsson the lone answers would have been Jonas Jerebko, Jeffery Taylor and Bobi Klintman.

“I’ve been playing basketball for free for mostly my whole life,” the 25-year-old native of Stockholm said. “So to have this now is insane.”

To the Heat, the dollars made sense.

“That trust just means a lot to me coming from them,” Larsson said.

With Larsson already having won over the respect of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“Sorry for my language,” Antetokounmpo said during his pre-camp media session when asked about Larsson, “but he’s f-ing good.”

Of that seal of approval, Larsson said, “It’s good to have it start out at that.”

So for now, as the Heat moved on to Saturday night’s exhibition opener against the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City, smiles all around.

“It means a lot just to keep calling Miami my home and wake up here every day with a smile on my face, come to work, walk among some legends in this building and be part of that for the longer future,” Larsson said during an interview at Kaseya Center, with the extension kicking in with the 2027-28 season.

As the Heat reworked their roster, Larsson said coach Erik Spoelstra and Heat President Pat Riley made clear in extension discussions his importance going forward.

“It was kind of similar things of they’re giving me this extension for a reason, so just keep doing what I’ve been doing and being who I am on the court,” Larsson said. “And, now we’re bringing in some new guys that I think I’m going to fit well with and I can continue to do the same thing, just try to be more efficient in the things I’m doing.”

As in fouls down, 3-point percentage up, and perhaps even a few turns at point guard.

“I probably will end up being the one in some lineups,” he said of playing point guard. “I mean, I handled the ball more than I ever have this summer, so I got some practice.”

Those games were where he stood as the star of the Swedish national team during World Cup qualifying.

“We played four games, trying to qualify for the World Cup next summer and won three out of four against very good teams, and they gave me a big role, a big load offensively just to score and be that guy for them,” said Larsson, a 2024 second-round pick out of Arizona. “That just gave me confidence and that I can do more outside what I’ve been doing and kind of implement that from time to time in my role here.”

Now maximizing the respect he already has earned from the Heat’s new leading man, a synergy seemingly already in place with Antetokounmpo.

“The respect level for how they both compete. I think that’s what opened up Giannis’ eyes toward Pelle,” Spoelstra said. “How hard he competes, how he does it all within the framework of trying to help the team win, he’s a throwback competitor. He’s also really improved his offensive game.

“You can count on Pelle to make the right plays, to use his voice, to use his physicality in the right way to help the team win. Sometimes things just also organically present themselves. Even though we’re not running a ton of pick-and-rolls, we’ve allowed some of it. They have a good synergy that we don’t want to get in the way of.”

An eye-opening contract.

Opening the eyes of Giannis.

And an eye on doing even more.

So, no, no need to regurgitate the facts behind the extension, nothing crazy about the moment, instead value realized.

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