MIAMI – As the Miami Heat set their focus on the 2025-26 season, one player that the fanbase is monitoring is Kel'el Ware when it comes to the role in head coach Erik Spoelstra's rotation. With some predicting a breakout season for the young Heat star, his status on the team in the lineup has been in question as he speaks truthfully about the speculation.

Selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, he brought an exciting skillset to Miami, which was a need for the team, being an athletic seven-footer. He built his way to starting towards the middle of the season and being a mainstay next to Bam Adebayo in the front court, but ended the season in frustrating fashion against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.

Still, he had an impressive rookie season, bringing excitement and a new look to the team with size and impact on both sides of the ball. The talk has led to this season, wondering whether he will begin the season in the starting lineup, but to Ware, he said during the first day of training camp that he doesn't care what role he plays; he cares more about winning.

“I'm not the coach, so I can't pick and choose the role for me to play, but whatever that role is, I will play,” Ware said.

“Nah,” Ware said when asked if he cares that he starts or not. “Whatever the role is, I'll play it…To be honest, I just want to win.”

Heat sees a lot of potential in Kel'el Ware 

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) dribbles the basketball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends in the third quarter during game three for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

While the Heat head coach in Spoelstra spoke about Ware needing to improve in consistency with his “professionalism,” as said during the summer, there's no denying that the team sees a lot of potential with the Indiana product.

Even star Bam Adebayo would say during Monday's media day that he is “hard” on Ware, even thinking that the 21-year-old could think he's “crazy,” but that couldn't be farther from the truth.

“I don't think he's crazy,” Ware said as he chuckled. “I just think it's him wanting me to get better. Obviously, that's what it is; this is him wanting the best for me. I take it as motivation as I try to get better myself.”

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In his rookie season, Ware would make the NBA's All-Rookie second team for his effortse, showing the talent to be a foundational piece in Miami's future. Adebayo even said to ClutchPoints back in May that Ware could be a future Defensive Player of the Year award winner, something that the young star also sees himself winning.

“Of course, I feel like that will come when I'm playing at my best and me playing as hard as I can. Everything will fall into place when I start doing it,” Ware said to ClutchPoints.

Heat's Erik Spoelstra on Kel'el Ware in the rotation

With the Heat players getting ready for the 2025-26 season, the questions around the team's rotation remain a question mark, especially around Ware. Even Spoelstra would speak about the “element of unknown” right now with the team and how Ware factors into that.

“There’s an element of unknown with this team and this season, and it has invigorated me,” Spoelstra said Monday. “I am embracing the unknown…. Despite what people think my tenor is with him, I enjoyed coaching Kel’El. he is learning the head coach’s standards of approaching every single day to strive for excellence and not accept anything less than that? As a young player, then you learn that impacts winnings.

“Is he there yet? No,” Spoelstra continued. “Does he show signs of that? Yes, he does really care. He and Bam had some good moments together. In the playoffs, it wasn’t good. He’s positioning himself for an important role. He’ll have to prove it; he will have to earn it.”

At any rate, Miami will continue to prepare during this week's training camp at Florida Atlantic University before the first preseason game on Saturday in Puerto Rico against the Orlando Magic.