Kel’el Ware #7 of the Miami Heat looks on in the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 21, 2025 in New York City. Evan Bernstein Getty Images
Not only is second-year center Kel’el Ware dealing with a suddenly shrinking role in the Miami Heat’s rotation, but he’s also dealing with trade speculation involving his name ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
This is Ware’s reality at the moment, as the expectation is he would be part of any Heat trade package sent to the Milwaukee Bucks to acquire two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Bucks reportedly seeking a “blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks” in any trade of Antetokounmpo, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Ware appears to be the closest thing the Heat currently has to a “blue-chip young talent” as an athletic 21-year-old 7-footer who can make threes and block shots.
“Of course, I’ve seen it,” Ware said of the trade noise while standing in front of his locker just minutes before Saturday night’s 125-118 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Kaseya Center. “My people have told me. But at the end of the day, if they make that decision, they make that decision. If not, then I’m just going to continue to go out here and play regardless.”
But Ware hasn’t played much lately, as he logged a season-low three minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Bulls. After a short first-quarter stint that lasted just 3:11, he spent the rest of the game on the Heat’s bench.
Ware recorded two points and one rebound in his three minutes of playing time on Saturday, with the Heat outscored by two points during that stretch. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra opted to play usual forward Nikola Jovic as the Heat’s backup center for the rest of the contest, saying that he made the decision to bench Ware because of the pace of Saturday’s game.
With the short-handed Bulls playing smaller lineups, they ran off makes and misses to make it an ultra-fast game. Saturday’s contest was played at a speedy pace of 114 possessions per 48 minutes for the fastest-paced game of the Heat’s season.
“Look, I know, every press conference ends up becoming about him, and I really don’t want it to be that,” Spoelstra said when asked about Ware’s lack of playing time on Saturday. “I’ll go quickly on it because this is not an indictment on Kel’el. This game was so fast. They were playing small forwards at center. Their advantage was the speed and the quickness and all that, in my opinion. It was just not a typical game.”
Immediately after Saturday’s game, Ware said he did not receive an explanation from Heat coaches on why he didn’t play beyond his first-quarter stint.
“I can’t control it,” Ware said of Spoelstra’s decision. “I mean, it is what it is. I mean, whatever he feels like that he perceives or feels like playing.”
It’s the continuation of an unfortunate trend for Ware, though.
Ware has now made nine straight appearances off the bench after starting in 27 of his first 37 appearances this season. He has also played under 20 minutes in each of those nine games as a reserve, including just seven minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic, 12 minutes in Thursday’s win over the Bulls and just three minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Bulls.
“Like I said, it is what it is — control the controllables,” Ware continued, with the Heat again set to host the Bulls on Sunday night at Kaseya Center to end this three-game set between the two teams. “I just try to go out there and do what I can in whatever time I get.”
Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) drives the ball as Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) defends in the first half of their NBA game at the Kaseya Center on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
Ware is trying to take the same “control the controllables” approach with the trade speculation surrounding him ahead of Thursday’s league-wide trade deadline. As of Saturday night, Ware noted that no Heat coach or executive has approached him to address that trade noise.
“I don’t really think it’s even much of a distraction,” said Ware, who was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team last season after being taken by the Heat with the 15th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. “Because, like I said, it’s not even something you can control. I mean, so I guess you could say that goes along the lines of control the controllables. I mean, if it happens, it happens. Wherever I’m at, I’m going to try to go play my best basketball.”
Ware doesn’t believe his teammates are allowing the trade noise to affect them either, as a league source indicated that the Heat is among the teams aggressively pursuing a trade for Antetokounmpo before the approaching deadline.
“I feel like everybody has the same mindset with that,” Ware said. “I mean, that’s really all it is. Control the controllables. None of us are the ones making that decision. So you’ve got to wait to see. If something happens by the deadline, it happens. If not, it doesn’t happen. We’re going to continue to try to play as a team.”
Ware’s second NBA season has been filled with impressive highs and also some disappointing lows.
Ware has flashed his intriguing potential during stretches this season, grabbing double-digit rebounds in nine straight games in November. He also posted seven double-double stat lines during that nine-game stretch.
Ware enters Sunday night’s matchup against the Bulls averaging 11.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 53.9% from the field and 41.9% on 2.8 three-point attempts per game through the first 46 appearances during his second NBA season. That’s up from Ware’s rookie production, when he averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 55.4% from the field and 31.5% on threes last season.
But Ware’s production hasn’t led to positive minutes and he has struggled on the defensive end at times this season, as the Heat has been outscored by 4.3 points per 100 possessions while he has been on the court. With Ware on the bench, the Heat has outscored opponents by 5.3 points per 100 possessions this season.
“I have to find a way to make some of the lineups with Kel’el a positive,” Spoelstra said Saturday. “And that’s not on him. Some of the lineups that we’ve gone to have not been successful, and we don’t have a lot of practice time. He’s been diligent working behind the scenes. He’ll be ready, and we’ll just see what happens as we move forward.”
There’s a lot up in the air for the Heat and Ware ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. But even amid diminished playing time, Ware views his name coming up in trade speculation as a compliment.
“That just means that I bring value and I bring a skill set,” he said.