Indiana Big Man Said to Be Potential Milwaukee Bucks Draft Target..

The Milwaukee Bucks have two picks in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft, despite having a difficult offseason ahead of them. Kel’el Ware of Indiana is one of the players the front office is expected to choose.

When Ware was a freshman in college, he made his debut for Oregon. Despite having a strong start and even being picked in the 2023 NBA Draft, the coaching staff’s perception of the big man’s inconsistent work ethic caused him to lose playing time. He averaged 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game throughout that 35-game span.
In the end, he would head out of Oregon and via the transfer portal into Indiana. In contrast to his rookie year, Ware would have better success in his sophomore year of collegiate basketball.

The center averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game over 30 games. In addition, he made 42 percent of his field goals and 58 percent of his three-pointers on the few baskets he attempted. Following the Hoosiers’ Big Ten Tournament elimination at the hands of Nebraska, Ware proceeded to file for the NBA Draft.

Like Purdue big man Zach Edey, Milwaukee has a chance to use one of its two picks to select Ware. According to an article written by William Moxon for Behind the Buck Pass, there are several advantages of getting the Indiana center for next season.

“Partnering him with Giannis would be no different to Lopez being there, allowing the spacing for Giannis to attack the paint but providing good size and mobility on the defensive side of the ball, too.

In the Big Ten Tournament, he scored 26 points in three of four games, and they were all close games, showing his ability to work down the stretch and score at all levels. Indiana not featuring in March Madness might hinder his stock, but that also means he may fall further down the pecking order and still be there when Milwaukee make their pick.

His workouts, where he can show off his physicals and shooting, will possibly make him a more enticing draft pick, but there is the potential for the Bucks to make the move to grab Ware,” Moxon wrote.

As it stands, the Milwaukee has a pair of picks in its possession for the upcoming draft. If the front office uses it on Ware, they can potentially gain an elite defender on one end of the court and a serviceable three-point shooting big man on the other to space the floor. If this becomes a reality, the Bucks’ core becomes younger and more athletic.

How Milwaukee uses its selections in the upcoming months is yet unknown. There’s no denying that Ware merits considerable thought, particularly given the advantages he provides.