Kel'el Ware was one of the most desirable pieces heading to Milwaukee as part of the trade package that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami. The young center is excited for the fresh start because a larger role is likely waiting for him. Yet, at the moment, he's still slotted to be Milwaukee's backup five behind Myles Turner. If the Bucks move Turner, Ware's window of opportunity suddenly grows.
Milwaukee's new youngster is ready for more
Ware spoke directly about his excitement regarding his change of scenary in Milwaukee to reporters, including Miami Herald writer Anthony Chiang.
“A fresh start, getting more minutes with that,” Ware, 22, said. “Being able to go out there and just work on my game more, and game situation things... I mean, obviously now, where I’m at now, it’s a young team. I have more of a chance to flourish, so I’m excited for that.”
In Miami, Ware averaged 22.2 minutes per contest throughout his first two seasons. He should see an uptick in Milwaukee no matter how the roster looks, but as is, he's likely to play behind Turner unless the Bucks plan to play him out of position at power forward—they should not. If Milwaukee wants to clear the runway and truly go all-in on youth, trading Turner would be a clear sign of faith in Ware.
Bucks should at least guage the market on Turner
While there was initial speculation that the Milwaukee Bucks could either look to move Myles Turner in a deal with Antetokounmpo or separately soon after, that talk has quieted down. At this point, the Bucks appear content with keeping Turner, Tyler Herro, and any other veteran player who could help them contend rather than rebuild this coming NBA season.
Even if it prevents Ware from taking on the most prominent role of his young NBA career, perhaps the Bucks think keeping Turner around could be good for his development. The youngster has spent the last two years learning from a great two-way threat in Bam Adebayo, and he could spend at least the next one gathering tips from another in Myles Turner. There would be value in that.
Still, things could change. If the Bucks are still willing to entertain trade offers for Turner, they could likely get a nice haul. Even after his down year, Turner is still a valuable two-way threat. Golden State could use a big man and has assets. The Toronto Raptors would love to find an upgrade over Jakob Poeltl. There would be suitors that make a deal at least worth considering.
It all comes down to how the Milwaukee Bucks feel about Turner entering this new era of basketball. Ware will likely earn the keys to the center spot at some point, but there is no telling just how soon.
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