Ware rolled his left ankle during Miami's morning shootaround, but he's still available for Tuesday's game against the Pistons, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Ware played nine minutes against Minnesota on Sunday, posting four points and three blocks. While he'll be available, he's not guaranteed playing time. Ware didn't appear in four of Miami's first six games but has totaled 25 minutes over the last three contests.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Makes impact off bench
Rotowire
Ware finished Wednesday's 115-112 loss to the Suns with seven points (3-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three rebounds, one block and two steals in 14 minutes.
Ware made just his third appearance of the season Wednesday, as he has been an inconsistent part of Miami's rotation. The rookie big man capitalized on his season-high 14 minutes to show off his defensive potential and ability to stretch the floor. Thomas Bryant logged no minutes against Phoenix, so it will be worth monitoring to see if Ware replaces him as the Heat's backup center going forward.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Solid finish to preseason
Rotowire
Ware tallied 16 points (7-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals over 28 minutes in Friday's 114-109 preseason win over the Grizzlies.
Ware saw extended playing time off the bench Friday as Bam Adebayo (rest) and the other prominent Heat players sat for the preseason finale. Ware led the Heat with seven rebounds, and he was responsible for both of Miami's blocked shots. Ware will likely begin the 2024-25 regular season as the primary backup at center, but his willingness to shoot from three means he could share the floor with Adebayo.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Cruises to double-double
Rotowire
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.
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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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Drops 17 points
Rotowire
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.
Ware came into this outing with a ton of hype after averaging 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in his previous two Summer League outings. His path to fantasy value is obstructed by the presence of Bam Adebayo, but Ware has the potential to run away with the backup center role.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Shines in Summer League
Rotowire
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.
Ware was dominant for the Heat's Summer League team Sunday, recording game-high marks in points and rebounds. The 15th overall pick has averaged 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game across his first two Summer League outings, showing clear flashes of upside.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Drafted by Heat at No. 15
Rotowire
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 is being 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.
