Former IU big man Kel’el Ware rises in ESPN’s NBA mock draft following combine

  • 05/23/2024 10:45 am in

Former Indiana big man Kel’el Ware saw a slight rise in his NBA draft stock following the combine, according to ESPN.

The 7-foot Ware, who earned All-Big Ten second-team honors last season for the Hoosiers, moved up two spots in the latest ESPN projections released Wednesday.

Before the combine, ESPN projected Ware as the No. 27 pick to Minnesota.

But the latest mock draft now projects Ware as the No. 25 pick to the New York Knicks. Per Jonathan Givony:

When healthy, the Knicks have strong depth and versatility at nearly every position and can afford to take a couple of swings on long-term upside if they decide to keep one or both of their first-round picks. Ware has tremendous physical ability with his size, length and mobility as well as his ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim in small doses. If he can buy into playing the type of toughness and intensity that Tom Thibodeau requires, he could be a steal in this part of the draft.

Part of the slight rise could be due to Ware’s strength and agility training and his anthropometric measurements from the combine, which were as follows:

Anthropometric testing results

Hand length (inches): 9.5
Hand width (inches): 10.25
Height w/o shoes: 6’11.75″
Standing reach: 9’4.50″
Weight: 230 lbs
Wingspan: 7’4.50″

Strength and agility

Lane agility time (seconds): 10.97
Shuttle run (seconds): 2.91
Three-quarter spring (seconds): 3.29
Standing vertical (inches): 32.5
Max vertical leap (inches): 36.0

The 2024 NBA draft takes place over two nights in late June at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The first round will be on Wednesday, June 26 with the second round on Thursday, June 27.

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