The Miami Heat are missing the good old glory days under Erik Spoelstra, hoping that Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro can eventually lead the franchise back to the NBA promised land. But first, there are serious situations to address within the team.
Lack of commitment isn’t something Spoelstra will accept on this team. The famous Heat Culture is exactly the opposite to that. Therefore, the head coach made sure to drop a serious warning to one of his youngest players, one that has the potential to form a “Big Three” with Adebayo and Herro.
Kel’el Ware has been struggling at the start of the 2025 NBA Summer League, but Spoelstra is upset about something more important than his lackluster performances. According to the Heat head coach, Ware must work on his work ethic.
“A big part of this is he has to really embrace and improve his professionalism, his consistency, his approach every single day,” Spoelstra told reporters in Las Vegas on Saturday, via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “He has to get better with that. It’s learning how to become a pro.
Bam Adebayo #13, Tyler Herro #14 and Kel’el Ware #7 of the Miami Heat react against the Atlanta Hawks during the third quarter of an NBA play-in tournament game on April 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I understand that he was 20 last year and he’s 21. But we have bigger expectations. It’s not your normal growth and growing pains of a young player learning how to become a pro. But that’s what this summer is about. Learning how to become a pro, learning how to be consistent every single day.“
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Spoelstra wants to see more effort from Ware
Ware, 21, was selected with the 15th overall pick by the Heat in the 2024 NBA Draft. The big man made quite an impression in his rookie year, finishing the season as an established starter in a lineup where his presence as center allowed Adebayo to play with more freedom at power forward, which helped Herro in the scoring and playmaking department.
However, Ware’s second summer league is leaving a lot to be desired. In three games, the second-year player is averaging 12 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and just 10 percent from three-pointers.
“The talent is there. The professionalism and consistency has to improve, and it is,” Spoelstra added. “Our standards are not going to change and our expectations and how fast we want that to improve for him are not going to change. But he has to get better at it, he has to take ownership of it.
“The other stuff will come along with that,” Spoelstra continued. “That leads into the weight room — your professionalism, your consistency, your approach every single day. He’s getting stronger, he is gaining weight. That’s a big part of his improvement is getting his body physically prepared and ready to handle the rigors of a physical position. Then there’s the nuances of doing things defensively and playing stronger with more force offensively.“
Kel’el Ware #7 of the Miami Heat looks on in the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 17, 2025 in New York City.
The Heat believe in Ware
Spoelstra’s comments serve as an important wake-up call for a player who appears to have strong support from the organization. Word on the street is that the Heat deemed Ware untouchable in trade negotiations with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant, even if that meant missing out on KD to the Houston Rockets.
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“We feel like also giving him the structure to grow and embrace becoming a pro, learning how to be a professional every single day,” Spoelstra said. “Being early, having a great energy and accountancy every day. How you do anything is how you do everything. He’s taking some steps, but he’s got to get better. He has to get better with the professionalism.”
Ware understands Spoelstra
It seems that Ware is taking note of his coach’s words, acknowledging that he still has plenty of room for learning and improvement at the start of his NBA career with the Heat.
“I mean, I’m a young player still,” Ware said when asked how he felt about Spoelstra’s comments. “Getting into it, learning more about it and it’s all good. Come out here, still get some run in with these guys and being able to showcase that I have more to me.”
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Should the Heat keep Ware off-limits in trade talks?
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It’s still a bit early to tell, but Ware might be an important piece for the future in Miami. The potential is there, and Spoelstra wants to make sure to fully unlock it.
