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Indiana center Kel'el Warehas declared for the NBA Draft, according to a report from 247Sports. The decision comes shortly after Inidiana's Big Ten tournament loss against Nebraska knocking them out of March Madness contention.
Ware played in 30 games for the Hoosiers this season, putting up 15.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.5 APG to go with 1.5 blocks per game.
He almost doubled his scoring and rebounding numbers from his freshman year at Oregon. He is a great, long, rim protector and rebounder with a decent touch. His strength leaves a bit to be desired, but that can be improved upon as his career progresses.
Kel'el Ware's all-around skillset could see him selected early in the second round of the draft. Here are some potential teams that could land the Hoosiers big man.
5 best NBA landing spots for Kel'el Ware
#1, Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets have a chance to find their future big man in Kel'el Ware. The Hornets have had to give 6-6 Grant Williams minutes at the center position due to their lack of depth at that position.
Nick Richards has done a fine job as the Hornets' starting center this season. But Ware's ability to stretch the floor as a decent 3-point shooter would open up the offense. His rim protection would also be a big help and allow LaMelo Ball more space to operate offensively.
#2, Boston Celtics
As the team with the NBA's best record, the Boston Celtics will likely have a late first-round pick. This may be a bit high to select Ware, but he would be a useful addition to this team building towards a championship.
With the uncertainty of Al Horford returning to the NBA next season, the Celtics could lose the veteran big man. That could open up a spot behind Kristaps Porzingis and potentially Xavier Tillman as well. Porzingis would be a great mentor for Ware as someone with a fairly similar skillset at the NBA level.
#3, OKC Thunder
The OKC Thunder are building a contending team with many young players at the core. This team plays a fast-paced offense and has a great young rim protector in Chet Holmgren.
Putting Ware behind Holmgren and Jaylin Williams would set an excellent example for him. He would fit right in coming off the bench, giving the Thunder someone who could play a similar role to Holmgren on defense.
#4, Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors could be tempted to select Kel'el Ware early in the second round of the NBA draft. He would give them someone with good length and scoring ability behind Jakob Poeltl.
With the Raptors trading Pascal Siakam in January, they lost his length in order to bring over two forwards. Ware's length and height would be a solid addition to a team building around a young core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Emmanuel Quickley.
#5, New York Knicks
The Knicks already have length and height at the center position, so Ware should fit right in on this team looking for a long-term center. Mitchell Robinson has been a steady starter when healthy, but he doesn't have the same impact on offense that Ware could bring.
Other centers on the Knicks' roster include Isaiah Hartenstein, Jericho Sims and Dmytro Skapintsev. None have shown much consistency or ability to be the future big man for this organization. The Knicks could take a chance on Ware near the middle of the second round and have their center for the future.
