NBA
KW
#7

Kel'el Ware

Center · Milwaukee Bucks · 7'0", 230 lb · Born Apr 20, 2004 · North Little Rock, Arkansas · Drafted 15th overall, 2024
All-Rookie 2nd (2025)7-foot upsideRim protectorStretch big
NBAMilwaukee BucksCenters
Compare:vs Greenvs LeVertvs Jr.vs Jr.vs Jakučionisvs Jr.
In short

Kel'el Ware is a 7-foot rim-running, shot-blocking, floor-stretching center and a 2025 NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection. Drafted 15th in 2024 after one season each at Oregon and Indiana, he had a strong rookie year — setting a franchise rookie record for defensive rebounds — and profiles as a high-upside modern two-way big, now moving to Milwaukee.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceThu, Nov 12
@Miami HeatDrop coverage
Proj. points
11
range 8.3–13.7
Line 11
50%
to go over
Team win
35%
112–115
Poi 11 Lean overReb 9 Lean underAss 0.7 Lean overPRA 20.7 Lean under
Likely on himBam Adebayo· 86 Rim protectionStrong defender
10+ pts63%15+ pts9%

Model lines Ware at 11 pts (range 8.3–13.7) vs a 11 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (50%).

Model favors Miami Heat (65%), projected 112–115, ~227 total at 96.8 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Ware
The Ware Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
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A 7-foot rim-running, floor-stretching center — high-upside frontcourt for Milwaukee.

Named after Superman's 'Kal-El,' Ware starred at Indiana before Miami drafted him 15th in 2024.

🏫 Indiana · 15th, 20245-star recruit

He made the 2025 All-Rookie Second Team, setting a franchise rookie record for defensive rebounds.

All-Rookie 2ndRebound record

A mobile 7-footer, he protects the rim and stretches the floor to the three-point line.

Rim protector42% 3P (college)

He carries high two-way upside into his move to Milwaukee.

Traded to MILStretch big
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
11.1
2025-26 (MIA)
RPG
9
per game
APG
0.7
per game
FG%
.530
.395 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A 7-foot rim-running, shot-blocking, floor-stretching center — high-upside frontcourt for Milwaukee.

Kel'el Ware was born in North Little Rock, Arkansas — named after Superman's Kryptonian name, 'Kal-El' — and was a five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American. He played one season at Oregon and one at Indiana, where he averaged 15.9 points and 9.9 rebounds and shot 42% from three, earning Second-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive honors.

Miami drafted him 15th in 2024, and he had a strong rookie season — NBA All-Rookie Second Team and Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January 2025 — setting a franchise rookie record for defensive rebounds. A mobile, stretch-capable rim protector, he carries high two-way upside into this move to Milwaukee.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Ware's name carries a story — his mother named him after Superman's Kryptonian name, Kal-El — and he arrived in the NBA at just 20 after a winding college path from Oregon to Indiana that culminated in a breakout, draft-lifting season. He turned down a large Overtime Elite offer to keep developing in college, a bet that paid off.

His on-court identity is modern-center versatility — a true 7-footer who runs the floor, protects the rim, rebounds at a high level, and stretches the defense to the three-point line. His developmental frontiers are free-throw and three-point consistency, but his rare blend of size, mobility, and range gives him a starting-caliber two-way ceiling.

PERSONALITY

The person

A mobile, two-way 7-footer — rim protection, rebounding, and floor-stretching range.

Rim protectorA true 7-footer who blocks shots and rebounds at a high level.
Floor-stretcherShot 42% from three at Indiana — rare range for a big.
High upsideAn All-Rookie Second Team selection at just 20.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Stretch Center · Young Rim Runner
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
55/100
Scoring60
Playmaking30
Rebounding82
Perimeter D50
Rim protection78
Spacing68
Athleticism80
Clutch55
Young stretch bigRim protectionRebounding
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Modern two-way size

Ware's value is rare physical tools — a true 7-footer who runs the floor, protects the rim, and rebounds elite (a franchise rookie record), while stretching the defense with three-point range (42% at Indiana). That mobility-plus-range profile is exactly what modern frontcourts covet, and he flashed it immediately with an All-Rookie season.

Consistency to come

The developmental questions are free-throw shooting and three-point consistency at the NBA level, plus the strength and polish that come with age. At just 20 with a starting-caliber ceiling, Ware is a high-upside bet — a two-way center who could grow into a frontcourt cornerstone for Milwaukee.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-267722.111.19.00.7.530.395

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2025NBA All-Rookie Second Team; set a franchise rookie record for defensive rebounds
CollegeSecond-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive at Indiana (2024)
2022McDonald's All-American; USA U-18 gold medal

Hardware

1×
All-Rookie Second Team (2025)
15th
Draft pick (2024)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A high-upside, floor-stretching 7-foot center — modern two-way frontcourt for Milwaukee.

Ware profiles as a starting-caliber two-way center — a mobile 7-footer who rebounds, protects the rim, and stretches the floor. Growth in free-throw and three-point consistency would round out a high-ceiling modern big. At just 20, his upside is among the highest on the roster.

Rim protectionStrong
ReboundingElite
Floor spacingPromising
Consistency / ageDeveloping

Contract

Draft
15th, 2024 young
Role
Two-way center upside
Age
22 rising
Bottom line

A mobile, floor-stretching 7-footer who rebounds and protects the rim — an All-Rookie big with a starting-caliber ceiling and real upside for Milwaukee's frontcourt.

FAQ

Quick answers

What makes Kel'el Ware a promising young center?

He's a true 7-footer who runs the floor, protects the rim, rebounds elite, and stretches the defense with three-point range — a modern two-way profile, and a 2025 All-Rookie selection.

Where did Kel'el Ware play college basketball?

One season at Oregon and one at Indiana, where he broke out before Miami drafted him 15th overall in 2024.

How is Kel'el Ware's name pronounced / where does it come from?

His mother named him after Superman's Kryptonian name, 'Kal-El.'