Miami Heat views past criticism of Indiana basketball's Kel’el Ware as ‘low-hanging fruit’

Miami Heat general manager Adam Simon was thrilled to land what he described as a “3-and-D center” with the No. 15 pick on Wednesday night. 

Simon touted Ware’s versatility when he spoke to reporters at the end of the night. 

“It's not easy to find seven footers that can play on the perimeter offensively and also be able to defend with his ability to shot block and defend the post,” Simon said. “For us, that was very appealing."

More:Miami Heat pick Indiana basketball’s Kel'el Ware in first round of the 2024 NBA Draft

Indiana basketball center Kel’el Ware is “just scratching the surface”

Ware burst into tears when his name was called on Wednesday night. He was surrounded by his family along with Indiana coach Mike Woodson. 

It was the culmination of an up-and-down journey for Ware that got off to a rocky start as a five-star signee in Eugene. Ware played in all 35 games, but only averaged 15.8 minutes per game with Oregon coach Dana Altman publicly questioning his effort multiple times. 

He averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. 

“We’ve had a lot of conversations,” Altman said, at the time. “They haven’t gone as well and haven’t been as constructive as we want them to be. I was disappointed in his effort. I let him know that. He’s gonna have to make some adjustments or I’ve got to make some decisions. His time has been reduced.”

He transferred to Indiana where he rehabilitated his draft stock. He went from being a fringe first-rounder on most mock drafts at the start of the 2023-24 season to receiving a draft invite to the first round. 

Simon offered a blunt assessment of that past criticism. 

"That's low-hanging fruit,” Simon said. “Kel'el is not that.” 

The Heat’s scouting staff did a detailed dive on Ware that included talking to coaches going back to his preps career in Arkansas. 

“I think we are talking about a young player who has an edge to him,” Simon said. “I think he's shown that he's going to put points on the board, he can block shots, rebounds. To me that doesn't seem like a player that fits that description." 

Ware averaged 15.9 points (58.6%), 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game last season. He picked up All-Big Ten honors from the coaches (third) and media (second) and made the conference’s All-Defensive Team. 

More:'Off-the-radar' pick: NBA Draft grades for Kel'el Ware going to the Heat

Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Indiana basketball center Kel’el Ware could make formidable pairing 

Simon is excited about pairing Ware up with the team’s franchise player Bam Adebayo. The three-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive center averaged 19.3 points and 10.4 rebounds last season. 

He’s reportedly going to sign a three-year $166 million extension this summer that would keep him with the organization through the 2028-29 season.  

Miami also doesn’t have a ton of depth at the position locked in for next year as they wait for backup centers Thomas Bryant and Kevin Love to make a decision on their player options. 

“I think his skill set fits us, the things he does well are things coach [Spoelstra] is going to be able to use,” Simon said, of Ware. “I think a lot of his skill set will be great to play with Bam and as well as when Bam is off the court."

Simon circled back to Ware’s potential as a 3-point threat who stretches the floor. While Ware shot 42.5% from 3-point range, he only put up 40 attempts. That low sample size wasn’t a concern for Miami’s decision-makers. 

The Heat drafted Indiana basketball’s Kel’el Ware in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Ware, who was in attendance at the Barclays Center, transferred to Indiana after spending his freshman year at Oregon. 

"He's a willing shooter,” Simon said. “You look at his stroke, very fluid, very easy. There were opportunities where he used ball fakes to get defenders off him. I think how he played there under coach Woodson at Indiana, a lot of it was in the post and a lot of it was in lob action. He didn't have a lot of attempts, 40, but he's a threat."

While Simon didn’t reveal Ware’s exact spot on the team’s draft board, he conceded it was higher than where the team picked.

“Absolutely,” Simon said, with a smile. “He was definitely higher than 15."

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.