Indiana's Kel'el Ware Receives Green Room Invitation For 2024 NBA Draft
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Following one season at Indiana, Kel'el Ware is expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
The 7-foot center has been invited to the green room at the 2024 NBA Draft, as first reported by ESPN's Jonathan Givony. The green room is an area at the draft where players wait to hear their name called while surrounded by family members, agents and coaches.
This is good news for Ware's draft stock. The NBA typically sends green room invitations to players that are viewed as first-round picks, though there have been instances where players fell below the pre-draft projections.
Ware's presence in the green room is also good publicity for Indiana, with millions watching on TV. Coach Mike Woodson attended the 2023 NBA Draft with first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him in the green room with Ware.
In a recent 2024 NBA mock draft, Ware was projected to be selected No. 13 overall by the Sacramento Kings, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
"An impressive pro day of shooting has had teams buzzing about Kel'el Ware," Wasserman wrote. "Sources say he's generating realistic consideration in the late lottery. The narrative about his underwhelming motor has seemingly been squashed. Ware figures to look highly enticing in a workout setting that can showcase his athleticism at the rim, mobility and high shotmaking skill level."
Other mock drafts have Ware going No. 23 to the Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN and The Athletic), No. 24 to the New York Knicks (USA Today), No. 20 to the Cleveland Cavaliers (SB Nation) and No. 17 to the Los Angeles Lakers (The Ringer).
Ware is coming off a breakout sophomore season at Indiana, where he earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and made the Big Ten All-Defensive team. Under coach Mike Woodson, Ware led the Hoosiers with 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He was efficient inside and out, shooting 58.6% from the field and 42.5% on 40 3-point attempts.
The 7-footer had 15 double-doubles in 30 games, and he blocked three or more shots in eight games. At Indiana, Ware more than doubled his averages from his freshman year at Oregon, where he scored 6.6 points and grabbed 4.1 rebounds per game.
The 2024 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 26 and 27 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
JACK ANKONY
Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.