What’s the Heat’s vision for first-round pick Kel’el Ware? ‘Kel’el is a three-and-D center’

Three-and-D wings are in high demand around the NBA these days. But the Miami Heat believes it came away from the first round of this year’s NBA Draft with a center who fits that valuable mold.

“Kel’el is a three-and-D center,” said Adam Simon, who is the Heat’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. “It is not easy to find 7-footers who can play out on the perimeter offensively and also be able to defend with his ability to shot block and defend the post. For us, that was very appealing.”

Heat uses NBA Draft to add size to roster, selecting Indiana center Kel’el Ware at pick No. 15

That’s why Heat executives were thrilled when Indiana center Kel’el Ware was available when it was their turn to pick in Wednesday night’s first round, as Ware was selected by Miami with the 15th overall pick in the draft. Simon revealed after making the pick that Ware was “definitely higher than 15” on the Heat’s draft board.

Ware comes with upside at 20 years old, an intriguing skill set and adds much-needed functional size to the Heat’s roster. He stands at 7-feet and 230 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, immediately becoming the tallest player on a Heat roster that didn’t include a 7-footer last season.

Ware also recorded the third-longest standing reach and tied for third-longest hand length at last month’s NBA Draft combine. Among centers at the combine, he posted the third-highest standing vertical leap, second-fastest shuttle run and second-fastest lane agility drill.

“There aren’t really that many people who can do what I do at 7-foot,” Ware said during a call with South Florida reporters on Wednesday shortly after being drafted by the Heat. “So I feel like that’s why I just get in the lab every day and try to figure out what I can do more and more and try to evolve my game.”

Ware, who has drawn comparisons to NBA players such as Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 58.6 percent from the field and 17 of 40 (42.5 percent) from three-point range in 30 games (30 starts) as a sophomore at Indiana last season.

Those were much-improved numbers from Ware’s freshman season, when he averaged 6.7 points, four rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 15 of 53 (28.3 percent) on threes in 34 games (four starts) at Oregon during the 2022-23 season before transferring to Indiana.

“He’s going to give us versatility on both ends,” Simon said. “I think his skill set fits us. The things he does well are going to be things that coach [Erik Spoelstra] is going to be able to use. I think it’s a great fit. To be able to block shots, defend the rim, shoot threes, he’s got a great touch in the post. I think his skill set will be great to play with Bam [Adebayo] and as well as when Bam is off the court.”

While it came on a relatively low volume of 40 three-point attempts, the fact Ware shot better than 40 percent on threes last season at Indiana along with his impressive shot-blocking ability makes him an intriguing candidate to play alongside All-Star center Bam Adebayo in the Heat’s frontcourt to anchor bigger lineups.

Ware was also an elite scorer at the basket in college last season, making 73.1 percent of his shots at the rim as a sophomore at Indiana. That ranked sixth best in college basketball among the 311 players who took at least 160 shots at the basket, according to The Athletic.

In recent seasons, the Heat has often paired Adebayo with smaller power forwards like the 6-foot-5 Caleb Martin, the 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker and the 6-foot-6 Jae Crowder. Miami moved to a bigger frontcourt midway through last season, starting 6-foot-10 forward Nikola Jovic next to Adebayo for the final few months of the schedule.

The addition of Ware gives the Heat another option to play alongside Adebayo in double-big lineups or simply a 7-footer who can play some of the backup center minutes while Adebayo is on the bench.

“I feel I’ll be able to fit well with the Heat, just being at that five position to help Bam out with Bam potentially going to the four and just being able to space the floor out,” Ware said. “Everything will be much easier for the whole team, especially moving fast pace up and down the court. I feel like I’ll be able to bring a lot to the team.”

According to the NBA’s scouting report on Ware, he “possesses a highly-coveted skill set. He can stretch the floor on offense while protecting the rim on defense. The big man has an array of post moves at his disposal and can find open teammates when facing a double team. In the pick-and-roll, Ware can pop out to three, be a capable passer in the short roll or finish lobs. Defensively, Ware is able to utilize his length and 7-foot frame to stay vertical and erase shots at the rim.”

The NBA’s scouting report adds that “Ware’s skill set is comparable to Myles Turner and Mo Bamba when considering their abilities to stretch the floor on offense and provide elite rim protection on defense” and that “Ware has the potential to be a starting big man in the NBA.”

So, why was a three-point shooting and athletic 7-footer like Ware still available for the Heat at pick No. 15?

Ware’s effort and focus were called into question by some predraft scouting reports, as the Ringer’s scouting report noted that his “effort and focus have wavered going back to high school. He’ll disappear for an entire half. His desire to box out and play with physicality is a notable concern, and he’s been bullied by players of a comparable size to him.”

Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman often challenged Ware to play harder. After Ware’s role was reduced during his lone season at Oregon as a freshman, Altman said: “We’ve had a lot of conversations. 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.”

After a shaky freshman season at Oregon, Ware transferred to Indiana and thrived in a bigger role as a sophomore.

But the Heat isn’t worried about Ware’s “effort and focus,” as Simon made clear Wednesday that the Heat “did a lot of background on him” and “everybody says he’s a willing worker and he wants to get better.”

“I think that’s a low hanging fruit description of him,” Simon said when asked about some questioning Ware’s effort. “Kel’el is not that. I think he went to Oregon, was playing behind an established player and an older player. He played in every game out there. He saw a better situation for himself to go to Indiana.

“He played with a motor, he played with intensity. I think we’re talking about a young player that has an edge to him. That description of him, I feel like he’s shown that he’s going to come out and put points on the board, he can block shots, he rebounds. To me, that doesn’t seem like a player that fits that description.”

Instead, the Heat sees Ware as a skilled big who has the potential to space the floor with his three-point shot.

“He’s a willing shooter,” Simon said. “I think you look at this stroke, it’s very fluid and very easy. ... He’s a threat. The idea of being able to put him in position to space the court, I think we feel like his shot is good now. Obviously, we’re going to work on it with him to get it even better. But just being comfortable shooting threes at this point, it’s definitely a plus.”

The Heat also views Ware as a player who can develop into a versatile defender with his combination of size and agility despite playing mostly drop coverage in college.

“We’re going to show him more here and we’re going to teach him different coverages,” Simon continued. “I think that’s the evolution of a young player who played in a system in college. I think we’ll be able to have his defensive skill set evolve. Those are the things that are appealing to us. The ability for him to slide, his lateral movement. But also that length, the ability to contest.”

Ware is slotted to make about $4.2 million this upcoming season as the 15th pick and will be under team control for five seasons. Next up for Ware is summer league basketball with the Heat in San Francisco and Las Vegas, with the team scheduled to travel to the West Coast next week to begin summer league practices.

Who, who will wear No. 7, worked out for the Heat at Kaseya Center on June 6. Evidently, he did enough during that pre-draft workout to earn a spot on the Heat’s roster and highly regarded player development program.

“He is so excited to be here,” Simon said. “He wanted to be here. He was really fired up speaking to him after the draft. I think this is the perfect place for him. I think it’s a great match for Kel’el to maximize his skill set.”