NBA Scout: Kel'el Ware could be this year's Dereck Lively II

It will take more than just one Summer League–or one full NBA season entirely–to determine how the Miami Heat draft shaped up relative to the rest of the NBA.

Though the best developmental staff in the NBA got their hands on another toolsy young player in the 2024 draft in center Kel’el Ware, a position they have not plucked much from.

An anonymous NBA scout recently likened Ware, drafted No. 15 overall, to a standout 2023-24 rookie, according to reporter and insider Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

“That’s a talent, a modern day five [center], can block shots, has size, length. That could turn out to be a very good pick. He gives them true size,” the scout said, according to the Miami Herald. “He could be this year’s Derrick Lively.”

Lively was drafted No. 12 overall by the Mavericks in the 2023 NBA Draft after just one season at Duke, finishing sixth in Rookie of the Year voting last year.

He posted 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in just 23.5 minutes across 55 games; on a per-75-possession basis, those numbers equated to 13.4 points, 7.9 boards and 2.2 blocks. He shot a remarkable 74.7 percent from the floor with a 72.8 true-shooting percentage.

He joined a team in need of legit size in the frontcourt … so does Ware! While Lively was more springy than Miami’s new 7-foot big, both had similarities as rim runners. Both were capable screen setters with vertical spacing ability, though Ware projects to be the better shooter.

That said, Ware’s screen-setting was rather shaky in Summer League, but he improved in making contact and holding the screen at the mesh point as time went on.

Lively was set up by two elite guards in Luka Doncic–one of the best passers on the planet–and Kyrie Irving, an underrated playmaker in his own right. Ware doesn’t quite have that luxury–one of the biggest reasons why I campaigned for Isaiah Stevens to earn a two-way spot. Guard play is more important at the collegiate level, but it’s still important for bigs at the next level.

I think Lively projects to be a slightly better defender because he has greater awareness in drop than Ware, though both players were very good shot-blockers in college.

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison in terms of skillsets and roles, but it’s close enough to warrant a discussion. Miami desperately needed functional size behind Bam Adebayo–Omer Yurtseven, Dewayne Dedmon and Cody Zeller, among others, weren’t cutting it, respectfully.