Kel'el Ware

20-Year-Old CenterC
Miami Heat  NBA  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Ware was selected by the Heat with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. As a sophomore last year in Indiana, Ware earned spots on the All-Big Ten Second Team (media) and the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. The 7-footer showed upside as a rim-protecting stretch five, blocking 1.9 shots and making 0.6 threes at 42.5 percent in 32.2 minutes per game. He's also a phenomenal athlete capable of highlight-reel dunks, giving him intriguing offensive upside in a league so reliant on pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop offense. The reason Ware was drafted in the middle of the first round rather than higher is largely due to mixed effort and decision-making, not to mention a lack of desire to play with physicality. In terms of his immediate role, Ware could slot in as Bam Adebayo's backup, though there's potential for the two to share the floor. Ware put up some impressive Summer League performances, averaging 18.3 points and 0.4 threes on 58/20/68 shooting, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 assists in 26.7 minutes. Read Past Outlooks
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Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary

Ware began playing basketball in the third grade in Sherwood, Arkansas. He went on to play high school basketball at North Little Rock High School where he helped lead his team to back-to-back championships as a junior and senior. In 2022, Ware competed in the Jordan Brand Classic, was named a McDonald's High School All-American and was a Naismith National High School Boys Basketball All-America honorable mention. That same year, he won a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Tijuana, Mexico and was a member of the 2022 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team. Ware was a consensus five-star recruit and committed to Oregon. After a relatively quiet freshman campaign, he transferred to Indiana, where he enjoyed a breakout campaign. In 2023-24, Ware averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.5 assists in 32.1 minutes across 30 appearances, all of which were starts. The 7-foot big man also displayed his outside shooting potential, converting 42.5% of his 1.3 three-point attempts per contest. For his efforts, Ware was named Second-Team All-Big Ten by the media and got a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. Ware possesses a highly-coveted skill set. He can stretch the floor on offense while protecting the rim on defense. The big man has an array of post moves at his disposal and can find open teammates when facing a double team. In the pick-and-roll, Ware can pop out to three, be a capable passer in the short roll or finish lobs. Defensively, Ware is able to utilize his length and 7-foot frame to stay vertical and erase shots at the rim. Ware's skill set is comparable to Myles Turner and Mo Bamba when considering their abilities to stretch the floor on offense and provide elite rim protection on defense. While Ware's outside shot will ultimately determine how high his ceiling is, he has already shown he can be a lob threat and short-roll passer in the pick-and-roll. Combined with his shot-blocking capability, Ware has the potential to be a starting big man in the NBA.

Cruises to double-double
CMiami Heat
July 22, 2024
Ware tallied 21 points (8-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds and one block over 32 minutes during Monday's Summer League Championship Game against the Grizzlies.
ANALYSIS
Ware, who was named to the NBA 2K25 All-Summer League First Team earlier in the day, put together yet another strong performance to finish out Summer League play. He secured a double-double with his strong rebounding effort and scored efficiently, knocking down 80.0 percent of his tries from the field in an overtime thriller.
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Average Fantasy Points are determined when Kel'el Ware was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
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More Fantasy News
Drops 17 points
CMiami Heat
July 13, 2024
Ware produced 17 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 25 minutes during Saturday's 119-114 Summer League win over Boston.
ANALYSIS
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Shines in Summer League
CMiami Heat
July 7, 2024
Ware recorded 26 points (12-21 FG, 2-5 FT, 0-2 3Pt), 11 rebounds, three assists and a block in 29 minutes during Sunday's 102-86 win over the Kings in the California Classic Summer League.
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Drafted by Heat at No. 15
CMiami Heat
June 26, 2024
Ware was selected by the Heat with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Praised by scouts
CMiami Heat
August 12, 2024
Ware was praised by an NBA scout following his 2024 Summer League performances, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
ANALYSIS
The unidentified scout went as far as saying that Ware could be this year's Dereck Lively, comparing his traits and elite defensive ability with those of the Duke rookie, who played a pivotal role for the Mavericks in 2023-24. Ware is expected to come off the bench as a rookie, but those traits, as well as his touch around the rim, could lead him to see decent minutes in his first year in the NBA while backing up Bam Adebayo.
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