Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra did not mince words in calling out second-year center Kel’el Ware after he was made untouchable in their failed Kevin Durant trade bid.
“A big part of this is he has to really embrace and improve his professionalism, his consistency, his approach every single day,” Spoelstra told reporters in Las Vegas over the weekend. “He has to get better with that. It’s learning how to become a pro.”
It has been an issue for Ware in college, which the Heat dismissed during the pre-draft process, according to a June 2024 report from Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
“Most pre-draft scouting reports on Ware questioned his effort and focus after a rough freshman season at Oregon that left Ducks head coach Dana Altman often publicly challenging him to play harder,” Chiang wrote at the time.
But Heat vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager Adam Simon labeled it as a “low-hanging fruit description” of Ware at that time, according to Chiang.
“We did a lot of background on him,” Simon said. “[Heat director of college and pro scouting] Keith Askins, [Heat vice president of player personnel and Sioux Falls Skyforce general manager] Eric Amsler, our scouting staff, we talked to everybody from coach [Chris] Crutchfield, who’s at Omaha in Nebraska now and recruited him to Oregon, the Oregon staff, everybody at Indiana, people that have worked with him. Everybody says he’s a willing worker and he wants to get better.”
Expectations Skyrocket After ‘Untouchable’ Tag
Getty Kel’el Ware was named as the “swing” piece for the Miami Heat in the failed Kevin Durant trade talks.
Spoelstra has been hard on Ware this offseason. The multi-titled coach expects a lot from Ware after the 7-foot center made it to the All-Rookie Second Team, averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
“I understand that he was 20 last year, and he’s 21. He has bigger expectations,” Spoelstra told reporters. “It’s not your normal growth and growing pains of a young player learning how to become a pro. But that’s what this summer is about — learning how to become a pro, learning how to be consistent every single day. The talent is there, the professionalism and consistency have to improve, and our standards are not going to change, and our expectations of how fast we want that to improve for him are not going to change. But he’s got to get better at it. He has to take ownership of it. And the other stuff will come along with that.”
The Heat were named by multiple reports as the frontrunners in the Durant trade talks until they refused to include Ware, which ultimately nixed a deal that would have brought the former MVP to Miami.
Ware will bear the brunt of the failed Durant trade and has to prove why the Heat put so much faith in him.
Kel’el Ware ‘Has to Get Better With Professionalism’
Getty Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat talks to Kel’el Ware against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Spoelstra said that aside from Ware’s professionalism, they are also working on the big man’s defense and his body.
“Then there are nuances of doing things defensively and playing stronger with more force offensively,” Spoelstra explained. “We’re working on those things every single day in the league.”
Spoelstra added that his coaching staff is spending a lot of time hitting and pounding Ware. He wants his young center to have a stronger lower body and become more physical. But it all comes down to Ware’s professionalism to meet the Heat’s high expectations and realize his full potential in the league.
“That’s what we feel like we do,” Spoelstra said. We’re also giving him the structure to grow and embrace becoming a pro, going out and being a professional every single day, being early. Having great energy and accountability every day.
“How you do anything is how you do everything. He’s taking some steps, but it’s got to get better. He has to get better with professionalism.”
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