'Biggest riser': Indiana basketball center Kel'el Ware could sneak into NBA draft lottery (2024)

Kel'el Ware answered a lot of questions in his one season with Indiana basketball. The 7-footer led the Hoosiers with 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game while shooting 42.5% from 3-point range.

That marked a huge jump from his one year at Oregon, in which he saw the court little late in the season.

His average draft position among this group of predictions is 17.1, ranging from ninth to 24th.

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Where will IU basketball big man Kel'el Ware be drafted?

▶ Cameron Salerno, CBS Sports: 24th to Knicks

"With Isaiah Hartenstein set to become a free agent this offseason, the Knicks could benefit from drafting a center. After an up-and-down freshman season at Oregon, Ware transferred to Indiana, where he turned his career around and put himself back in the conversation as a first-round pick."

▶ Jason McIntyre, Fox Sports: 14th to Trail Blazers

"The draft is less about what players were in college, but rather what they can be in the pros. With DeAndre Ayton only having two more guaranteed years, at which point they can transition to Ware. Or perhaps earlier, if Ware makes the leap and Ayton's expiring contract is attractive trade bait."

▶ Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer: 9th to Grizzlies

"League sources say the Grizzlies are looking to trade up in the draft. Could it be for center Donovan Clingan? If they stay put, maybe they go with Ware, who could be a rookie lob threat and rim protector in the mold of Dereck Lively II of the Mavericks. But if Ware’s 3-pointer translates as well as it did during his sophom*ore year at Indiana, then he’d bring a whole new dimension that’d enable the Grizzlies to play five-out offense with size."

▶ Krysten Peek, Yahoo: 14th to the Trail Blazers

"Ware has been the biggest riser during the pre-draft process and has been working out well for multiple teams. He also measured and tested well during the combine and is a player who has shown vast improvement during his college career, first starting out at Oregon before his sophom*ore season at Indiana."

Walter Football: 22nd to Suns

"The Suns are another team that could use an upgrade in the interior, as Jusuf Nurkic isn’t quite good enough."

▶ Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: 16th to 76ers

"Kel'el Ware measured well at the NBA combine, even showing a standing reach that was 2.5 inches longer than potential No. 1 overall pick's Alex Sarr. He was also down 12 pounds from Indiana's listing. For Ware to maximize his draft stock, he's going to have to convince teams to buy into his 3-point range.

"Ware still has a very high skill level for a center who's above average athletically and nearly 7'0" in socks. And the big increase in scoring production helped validate the effectiveness of his tools, movement and shotmaking."

▶ Brian Brennan, NBC Sports: 21st to Pelicans

"Ware is a theoretical stretch-five, a 7-footer who shot 42.5% from 3-point range last season, though the volume was low at only 1.3 attempts per game. He’s a big-time vertical athlete and an outstanding lob threat — like Dereck Lively II in Dallas. Even if the lob is somewhat off target, Ware has the dexterity and explosiveness to finish it.

"He brings some post-up ability to the table as well, showing off a smooth turnaround fadeaway jumper. He’s also a decent passer, and it’s easy to envision him posting up and finding a cutting Zion Williamson. Defensively, he’s an adept shot blocker, but he’s lean. He’ll have to prove he can handle the physicality of opposing NBA centers to earn major minutes."

How tall is Kel'el Ware?

7-0

When is the 2024 NBA draft? What channel is the NBA Draft on?

First round: June 26 (Wednesday), 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN

Second round: June 27 (Thursday), 4 p.m. ET, ESPN

2024 NBA draft order

First round

1. Hawks
2. Wizards
3. Rockets (via Nets)
4. Spurs
5. Pistons
6. Hornets
7. Trail Blazers
8. Spurs (via Raptors)
9. Grizzlies
10. Jazz
11. Bulls
12. Thunder
13. Kings
14. Trail Blazers (via Warriors)
15. Heat
16. 76ers
17. Lakers
18. Magic
19. Raptors (via Pacers)
20. Cavaliers
21. Pelicans (via Bucks)
22. Suns
23. Bucks (via Pelicans)
24. Knicks (via Mavericks)
25. Knicks
26. Wizards (via Clippers)
27. Timberwolves
28. Nuggets
29. Jazz (via Thunder)
30. Celtics

Second round

1. (31 overall) Raptors (via Pistons)
2. (32) Jazz (via Wizards)
3. (33) Bucks (via Trail Blazers)
4. (34) Trail Blazers (via Hornets)
5. (35) Spurs
6. (36) Pacers (via Raptors)
7. (37) Timberwolves (via Grizzlies)
8. (38) Knicks (via Jazz)
9. (39) Grizzlies (via Nets)
10. (40) Trail Blazers (via Hawks)
11. (41) 76ers (via Bulls)
12. (42) Hornets (via Rockets)
13. (43) Heat
14. (44) Rockets (via Warriors)
15. (45) Kings
16. (46) Clippers (via Pacers)
17. (47) Magic
18. (48) Spurs (via Lakers)
19. (49) Pacers (via Cavaliers)
20. (50) Pacers (via Pelicans)
21. (52) Wizards (via Suns)
22. (52) Warriors (via Bucks)
23. (53) Pistons (via Knicks)
24. (54) Celtics (via Mavericks)
25. (55) Lakers (via Clippers)
26. (56) Nuggets (via Timberwolves)
27. (57) Grizzlies (via Thunder)
28. (58) Mavericks (via Celtics)

76ers and Suns forfeited second-round picks for breaking league tampering rules.