The Philadelphia 76ers have the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NBA draft and they have a options with the pick. They can trade the pick for a win-now player, which is the likely move considering Philadelphia’s timeline, or they can bring in a young prospect to add to the roster.
If the Sixers decide to add a young piece to the roster, one of those options could be a big man such as Indiana’s Kel’el Ware. Of course, the Sixers have Paul Reed as the backup to Joel Embiid, but Reed’s contract is no longer guaranteed after the Sixers failed to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
He has great size for a big man (7 feet) and runs the floor well on the offensive end. He can hop off the bench, grab a bunch of rebounds and finish well at the basket. He shot 58.6% from the floor in the 2023-24 season with Indiana and he also shot 42.5% from deep on 1.3 attempts per game.
He has the shooting mechanics to become a strong shooter from both the midrange and from deep. He has a nice face-up game and can take guys off the dribble either in the post or from the foul line. He also blocked 1.9 shots per game in 2023-24.
Ware has fantastic timing on the defensive end to come up with blocked shots. The Sixers have been in need of a consistent shot blocker around the rim, and Ware offers that right away. Throw in the fact he can rebound the ball well — a big issue in the playoff elimination to the New York Knicks — and he would have to be considered an option at No. 16.
If there were any weaknesses to Ware’s game, it would be his slight frame. He has to put on weight if he is going to stand up to the toughness and the physicality of the league. While he has some nice post moves, he has to expand them. He sometimes settles for a hook shot, which will be exploited in the league. He averaged 2 fouls per game at Indiana and one has to wonder if fouling will be an issue in the NBA.
If the Sixers select him at 16, he checks a number of boxes they need to address, so it wouldn’t be considered a reach.
With the uncertainty surrounding Reed heading into the offseason, Ware could come in and play right away as the new backup big man to Embiid. His athleticism would allow him to run the floor with Tyrese Maxey on the break and his rim protection and rebounding would be a welcomed addition to this group.