Miami Heat opt for size of Indiana’s Kel’el Ware in NBA fraft

MIAMI — The Miami Heat’s first personnel move of the offseason was the selection of Indiana center Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 selection at Wednesday night’s NBA draft at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Having struggled to find complementary height alongside Bam Adebayo in the power rotation, the Heat went for a shot-blocking presence and rim-running dunk threat who has shown signs of an upgraded outside touch, as well.

To Adam Simon, the Heat’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager, who oversees the team’s draft, it was a matter of the right player and the right fit for coach Erik Spoelstra.

“Kel’el is a 3-and-D center,” Simon said shortly after the conclusion of the first round, “and it’s not easy to find 7-footers that can play out on the perimeter offensively and also be able to defend with his shot blocking and defend the post. For us, that was very appealing.

“He’s going to give us versatility on both ends. And I think his skill set fits us. The things he does well are things that Coach Spo is going to be able to use. I think it’s a great fit. He’s able to block shots, defend the rim, shoot threes. He’s got a great touch in the post. His skill set will be great to play with Bam, as well as when Bam is off the court.”

Ware seconded Simon’s thoughts.

“I feel like I’ll be able to fit well in with the Heat, playing the five position to help Bam, with him potentially going to the four and just being able to space the floor out,” Ware said.

Of his upgrade in 3-point shooting last season Ware said, “I feel like I can always add more to my shooting, always. It’s nothing to stop working on. I feel like I can add that to my game.”

A 7-footer with a 7-5 wingspan, Ware pushed through questions about his motor as a sophomore at Indiana after playing his freshman season at Oregon. At 20, he is considered to have the upside to grow with the Heat’s recent draft picks.

In 30 games last season for the Hoosiers, Ware averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, shooting .586 from the field, including .425 on 3-pointers.

Among NBA comparisons Ware has drawn are Jarrett Allen, Myles Turner, Dereck Lively III and Mo Bamba.

“I wouldn’t say I model my game after anybody, because I’m my own player,” Ware said. “It’s not really that many people who could do what I do at 7 foot.”

As part of the rookie scale, Ware will earn $4.2 million next season.

But Wednesday, he said, was about the moment.

“It was so many emotions just rushing through,” he said of being informed he was selected by the Heat. “Once my agent told me that’s where I was going, it was like all my memories from growing up playing basketball just started to rush through my head.”

It marked the third consecutive year the Heat exercised a first-round pick, having selected Serbian forward Nikola Jovic at No. 27 in the 2022 first round and UCLA wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. at No. 18 last season.

By rule, the Heat had to exercise a selection, with their 2025 first-round pick potentially going to the Oklahoma City Thunder as a lottery-protected selection. By NBA rule, teams cannot go successive years without exercising a first-round pick.

The Heat’s selection came amid the uncertainty with impending free-agent forwards Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith, with NBA free agency opening at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Heat also are awaiting player-option decisions by Kevin Love, Josh Richardson and Thomas Bryant that are due by Saturday.

For now, the Heat are moving forward with a core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jaquez and Jovic.