Despite the Milwaukee Bucks switching lanes toward a youth-driven direction this summer, the team is likely keeping Myles Turner. Coming off a down year and still making a significant amount of money, opposing teams aren't banging down Milwaukee's door to trade for him. This is both good and bad for fellow center Kel'el Ware, who can learn from Turner but also play a smaller role in the process.
Ware's current situation with the Bucks
After spending his first two seasons learning from an experiened starter and being his backup, Ware heads to Milwaukee to... learn from an experienced starter and be his backup.
For a young player, this can be a positive role. Rather than immediately being thrown into the fire and going up against elite competition every night, the youngster, Ware in this case, can get their feet wet against backups and grow from there. Furthermore, they can learn from the experienced big man, picking their brain every day to learn about skills, preparation, recovery, and much more.
On the flip side, though, it does hold the youngster back from getting on the floor in a larger capacity sooner. For a rookie, yes, it makes sense to sit behind a more experienced player. Nate Ament playing behind Kyle Kuzma is an example. However, Ware is on the road to year three. At that rate, a lot of young players have finally broken into the starting five and become mainstay contributors.
It's a double-edged sword that can both help and hurt the young player in question, especially as a second contract lingers.
How things could end up for Ware with the Bucks
For Ware, the ideal scenario could involve starting the season learning behind Turner before taking his place down the line. If the young big man shows enough flashes and Turner has raised his value enough to garner trade interest, perhaps the Milwaukee Bucks would consider moving the latter to open up minutes for their up-and-comer around the NBA Trade Deadline.
It's all about growth. If Ware shows minimal improvement and his ugly old habits keep derailing him, the Milwaukee Bucks likely won't rush to move Turner. After constantly being yanked around Miami's roster, Ware has a golden opportunity ahead with a clean slate. For the time being, all he can do is play the role given to him by the Bucks and excel. That will ultimately set him up for success.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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