Perhaps at first glance, there might not seem to be all that much pressure on young big man Kel’el Ware to perform at a high level for the Miami Heat in the 2025-26 season. Miami doesn’t project to be among the teams competing for a championship in the East in the coming season, and Ware is heading into just his second campaign in the league.
However, for several reasons, Ware could be entering a pivotal second season with the Heat organization. Let’s break down exactly why that is.
1. It’s time to put any “professionalism” concerns to rest
Earlier this summer, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was blunt about how Ware needs to improve his professionalism moving forward. The Heat just so happened to be in the middle of their Summer League stint when Spoelstra made the comments in question, and Ware was on the heels of a forgettable showing versus the Atlanta Hawks on July 11.
Heat legend Dwyane Wade even gave Ware some advice amid the professionalism concerns and told the big man to buy into what Spoelstra’s selling.
Ware’s sophomore season could be a big year for him to put the kibosh on any concerns in that realm. The best way to do that would be to show up as a consummate pro and teammate in his second campaign in the NBA and build upon what was a promising rookie season from a production standpoint.
2. The Kevin Durant factor
When Miami was linked to Durant this offseason, the word was that the Heat were “reluctant” to include Ware in a trade package. The team’s reluctance to trade Ware might have led to Miami coming up short in the sweepstakes for the star forward.
Durant ended up getting moved to the Houston Rockets in a trade instead, and Ware needs to show that the Heat made the right decision by protecting him in trade talks for one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen. The center already appears motivated to do just that.
“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,” Ware said of reportedly being protected in trade talks. “That makes me want to show them what I can do and how far I can go.”
Ware can prove that Miami did indeed make the right move if he goes out and plays like one of the best young big men in the league in his sophomore season. A larger role compared to the season prior would certainly help.
3. There’s no good time for a sophomore slump — just ask Jaime Jaquez Jr.
For an example of how a sophomore slump can change the overall view of a player, folks need not look further than Jaquez. As a rookie, he looked experienced well beyond his years and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. He got some consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year award as well, as he ended up in the top 10.
It wasn’t hyperbolic to claim that Jaquez seemed to have star potential after his impressive rookie season. But his production took a dip nearly across the board as a sophomore in the 2024-25 campaign, and he even found himself on the outside looking in when it came to Spoelstra’s rotation for Miami’s short time in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He’s now looking to bounce back.
It could be imperative to Ware’s development that he learns from Jaquez’s tribulations. Hopefully, he will realize that he does not have a large role guaranteed for himself in perpetuity simply because he played so well in his maiden NBA season. Ultimately, he still has a whole lot to prove and plenty of room for improvement at the highest level.
