The Miami Heat have a big offseason ahead, but let’s still review what happened this season! To continue with our Miami Heat player review series, we dive into sophomore big man Kel’el Ware!
Past Player Reviews:
- Bam Adebayo
- Simone Fontecchio
- Myron Gardner
- Tyler Herro
- Kasparas Jakucionis
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.
- Keshad Johnson
- Nikola Jovic
- Pelle Larsson
- Davion Mitchell
- Norman Powell
- Dru Smith
Brief Overview:
2025-26 stats (77 games):
- 11.1 PPG
- 9.0 RPG
- 1.1 BLKS
- 0.8 STLS
- 53.0 FG%
- 39.5 3P%
- 74.0 FT%
It was an up and down season for Ware. Not necessarily because of his play, but more so with his role and opportunities. Coach Erik Spoelstra shuffled a lot of roles due to injuries to core guys like Tyler Herro and Norman Powell. And it seemed like Ware was unfortunately always the odd man out with those lineup changes. Sure there were some nights where Ware’s motor looked questionable, although he needs to be allowed to work through his mistakes.
I’ve consistently stated throughout the year that Ware is the biggest ceiling raiser on the team. Miami looked like a much better team with him engaged on both ends. It’s fair to expect off nights for someone in just his second season, but it’s a learning curve that Spoelstra needs to be more understanding with.
Numbers to note:
39.5 — 3-point percentage
The facet of the game that has even made a Ware and Bam Adebayo big man combination work even a little bit has been Ware’s ability to stretch the floor. That notion was significantly stronger this season than Ware’s rookie year— as the 7-footer saw his 3-point efficiency jump from 31.5% to 39.5%.
Ware’s shooting ability makes him a perfect big in today’s NBA. In a league where more and more bigs are shooting three’s, it is encouraging to see the 22-year-old let it fly efficiently. And the sample size is big enough to know that it’s not a fluke either, as he attempted three attempts per game. His confidence in that facet of his game will only make him more valuable for Miami.
77 — Total games played
For someone with a slender 7-foot frame, Ware did a tremendous job at staying available all season long. He appeared in 77 total games and started in 34 of them, and could be argued that he should have started in a lot more. But that’s an argument for another day.
The encouraging thing here is that Ware has been reliable and consistent with his games played.
22.1 — Minutes per game
This is the one number that never made sense to me. Even if the way the rotations worked out with Ware having to play a bench role, why couldn’t he be staggered to still get extended minutes with Adebayo in those games? Ware’s per 36 minutes stats this season are roughly 18 points, 14.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Those are All-Star numbers.
The fact that a player with this much talent and upside was held back to just 22 minutes per game doesn’t sit right with me. He may still be young, but Ware has shown time and time again throughout this past season that he is ready. It’s worth monitoring moving forward to see if Spoelstra lets get of the leash on Ware’s playing time and role.
Best Game?
Ware had several dominating stat lines this season, especially towards the beginning of the year when he was a regular starter. But his best outing came in a Heat win versus the Washington Wizards this past April, where the talented big totaled a monstrous 24 points and 19 rebounds double-double to also go along with seven (!) blocks.
This performance was yet another glimpse of what Ware can be for this team long term: a versatile two-way anchor that impacts the game on both ends. His talent is undeniable, and if he could continue stacking games together like that moving forward, it will be hard for Spoelstra to keep him off the floor.
What’s next?
Miami will have the privilege to continue working with Ware and his growth until at least 2028. He signed a four-year $22.5 million rookie scale contract in the summer of 2024, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 campaign. The final two years include a team option, though it seems unlikely the Heat would ever move from someone with that much potential on such a cheap salary figure.
If not extended before that final year, Ware would become a restricted free agent in 2028. But for now, his future could still be iffy as a member of the Heat depending on utilizing him as a trade piece in any superstar trade this summer— mostly for Giannis Antetokounmpo. In my opinion, there are very, very few stars that Miami should even entertain the idea of moving from Ware this early. He is a player with a clear All-Star caliber ceiling with the best yet to come.
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I think it’s Ware’s ball handling and passing that’ll get him more minutes. Being a team that ran so few PnRs when Ware wasn’t on the block it was 4 on 5. We saw a few times he understood that, with some moves against broken defenses from the nail. He looked fluid and coordinated enough for that to expand next season.
Miami finished the year as the #13 defense, and in Ware’s 1706 minutes they had a 116.8 defensive rating, or the #20 defense. Miami’s defensive rebounding declined by -4.7% when Ware was playing (vs. improving by +6.8% when Bam was playing). Miami had difficulty protecting the rim in Ware’s minutes and in securing rebounds/preventing offensive rebounds.
This was visible game to game. One example, in Miami’s last game Diabate had 2 OREBs at half, and with Bam not playing in the second half Diabate had 6 OREBs as Miami lost by 1 to Charlotte. Although Ware had 19 rebounds for the game, Miami lost the game in large part because Charlotte had a 32.5% OREB%, above their season average.
The defense and defensive rebounding being significantly worse with Ware on the court is the opposite pattern if you look at the second years of the best defensive big men (Gobert, Bam, Wemby, etc), where even in their early NBA career the team gets better on defense and rebounding in their minutes, as they show signs of their defensive impact early on.
Ware was not a bad pick at #15 in a very weak draft, but after two years he hasn’t established himself as a rotation player by winning his minutes, and there are a lot of minutes now of him being bad on defense, despite games with impressive total rebound and block totals.
With two years still left on a low cost rookie contract is a good time to make a trade with Ware’s contract viewed as a positive asset. Turning the #15 pick in 2024 in Ware, and Herro and Jaquez who are both due extensions after next year into Giannis would be a great use of assets in contract terms for the Heat.
It’s been a strange…seemingly a rift developing? Now Riley appears to be the more supportive voice for the team’s youth vs Spo being the crusty one yanking guys in and out. Ware obviously had both high & low moments for everyone to reflect upon. To me -again- I’d let Ware know this…I’m giving you the next 5 minutes to play your hardest regardless of whatever happens. Five minutes with your hair on fire. Then come out for a couple minutes then back in…same thing. Try to clear out the overload of crap Spo & staff put in this kid’s head. Hit the weight room with knowledgeable trainers and believe you can impact every moment you’re on the court.
with Wemby rising Heat needs to develop Ware just in case.
a guy could dream you know.
Ware is for sure most talented young player in the team, but questionable motor idea is rubbish. Its questionable effort, not questionable motor.
The league, as it is, doesn’t value that type of players. 30-20 years ago he would be an instant star. Today, that kind of player cant be a central player of a good team, but only complementary player.
He had a good year, but there is still a long way to go. First thing, he need to fix is is effort. The second thing is mobility and awareness, where he needs to be on the floor in defense.
I wouldn’t trade him for anything but superstar. Still, he is not there, and in my opinion, there is still a danger, that he could turn in Hassan like player. So he need some tough love. When effort is not there, he should sit.
My theory is that when Riley resigned Hassan to the big contract to prevent him from leaving, he promised him he would have a bigger role in the offense. Hassan had already led the league in rebounds one season and in blocks another and Riley’s words closed the deal.
Then the Heat drafted Bam, a college freshman center. Spo started Hassan and Bam together in the opening game of the season but, as I recall, it was the only time all year. Yes, Hassan still started, but he saw the writing on the wall as his minutes were reduced. And he was subsequently traded.
I fear that’sSpo’s inability to make the Bam/Hassan pairing work, for whatever reason one may think, could be repeating itself and lead to the Heat trading Ware for the wrong reason. With Bam off the table, probably every team in the league would have Ka’lel at the top of the list of trading targets on the Heat. And that should send Heat management a message…you don’t trade the one player with all-star potential, especially a 7 footer who shoots 40% on 3’s.
From that time I remember a rift about 3p shooting… If HW is allowed to shoot them.
Ware/Bam combinations is proved could be ok, even great. But its also true, that lineups with Ware playing without big and mobile power forward along are bad.
With no one but Bam being that and no backup center, Ware often looks lost and bad. Add this to occasional lack of effort, and you have a worse season then he was capable to have.
I doubt Ware will be traded for anything else then superstar. You need to be big in this league, Riley is aware of that.
Don’t trade him. Give him intensive 1:1 coaching. Have him bulk up. Make him the starting center all year long. He needs the security of knowing the Heat intends for him to be the center for many years to come. Quit being so critical of every mistake he makes and yanking him out of games. He’s going to make mistakes and needs time to improve. Be more supportive/ less critical.
Next season Ware has to be given wings to soar, not have his wings clipped and his development stunted. He has all-star potential, he just needs coaching, experience, positive reinforcement and increased self-confidence.
if u need tht much coaching reinforcement and its doesnt come from within hes not the guy
Sure, if Ware was included in a trade for Giannis, it would make sense, but not because he was a throw-in, but because he has a high ceiling. Anyone who doesn’t see what Ware brings to the table as a 7’ athletic, 22 year old still on a rookie contract, who can score, rebound, and shoot the 3, is not being realistic. I’d like to know of any GM who wouldn’t be happy to add Ware to their roster.