Kevin Durant was the biggest piece in the trade market in the 2025 offseason. The Miami Heat were one of his preferred teams, but they were not willing to give up Kel’el Ware. He is arguably the Heat’s most promising player, so they had to end the rumors.
Kel’el Ware was excellent during his rookie campaign in the 2024-25 season with the Miami Heat. He was only 20 years old, but he averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game as a rookie. That was an excellent campaign, which helped him reach the All-Rookie Second Team.
The Heat selected him at #15 and he proved he was one of the “steals” of the 2024 NBA Draft. That made him an appealing player for any other team involved in trade discussions with Miami. Since Kevin Durant was on the move in the 2025 offseason, the Phoenix Suns wanted Ware in the deal.
The Heat denied that, as they believe in Ware enough to call him one of their long-term pieces. His excellent play proved the doubters wrong, and he will only develop further. Miami trusts Ware, and they are willing to keep him around for the long haul.
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty ImagesWare appreciates the Heat for trusting him
As one of the most impressive rookies in the 2024-25 season, Ware has earned the Heat organization’s trust. That is impressive, as Erik Spoelstra’s coaching staff and the front office see his long-term value as well.
Letting him go to another team would be disastrous for Miami, as they struck gold when drafting him. Ware is an athletic big man with sky-high potential on both ends of the floor. He only scratched the surface during his rookie season, and the Heat want to unlock more of his potential.
After only one year with the Heat, Ware thinks he has earned everyone’s trust. He felt good when Pat Riley and the front office omitted him from Durant trade packages. Ware is grateful the Heat see him as a player who is good enough to keep around.
“It made me feel the Heat wanted me, and they want to see how far I can get in the future and see how my development goes. That makes me want to show them what I can do and how far I can go,” Ware said ahead of the Heat’s Summer League campaign.
“They see the potential in me, and they see what I can be. So my main goal is to just sort of repay that they didn’t make a mistake.”
“I didn’t really see too much of it. It was one of the things I was like, if it happens, it happens. If not, it doesn’t. You’ve got to think the Heat didn’t want to give me up, but that means the other team wanted me. I didn’t really pay no mind to it.”
Ware is ready to prove he deserves to be a long-term piece in Miami
The Heat always find ways to stay competitive, which is through smart drafting and good trades. They have Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Ware as centerpieces. This trio consists of three Miami draft picks who are the building blocks.
Ware himself is only a year into his career, but he is ready to cement his place on the roster. He has kept working hard, even going from 230 pounds to 246 pounds. The Heat want him to hit 250 pounds, and he is close to finishing that task.
That is why Ware is such a good player for Miami. He is an extremely hard worker who wants to help the team. Ware is working in the offseason to improve his game and potentially become a future star. He has the physical traits that could make him a star, and he is ready to deliver on that potential.