Overview
- After a 119-114 loss to the Celtics on Jan. 15, Kel’el Ware logged nine first‑half minutes with three points and five rebounds before being benched for the second half, continuing a recent slide in his playing time.
- Erik Spoelstra said Ware is “stacking days in the wrong direction” and cautioned that young players cannot subconsciously play poorly to leverage more minutes.
- Bam Adebayo urged Ware to lean on daily discipline over short bursts of motivation, calling consistency the goal.
- Dwyane Wade questioned the idea that Ware would intentionally play poorly, while Udonis Haslem supported demanding effort but said players should be put in positions to earn larger roles.
- Reporting from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst indicated Miami has been overstated as a Ja Morant destination, with the Heat prioritizing future cap flexibility over a costly star move.