PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers brought in six draft prospects Tuesday for the team's second round of workouts. Included in the group was Kel'el Ware, a former top Oregon Ducks recruit who left Eugene after one underwhelming season and transferred to Indiana, where he enjoyed a solid sophomore campaign.
Ware, a versatile 7-foot-tall big man, was a McDonald's All-American and the No. 7 overall prospect in his high school class. During his freshman season at Oregon, Ware got off to a solid start, particularly at the Phil Knight Invitational in November, when he averaged 16 points and 8.3 rebounds over three games, playing about 32 minutes per contest. But he was removed from the starting lineup two games later. Over the final 26 games, he averaged just 12 minutes per game and his production plummeted to 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds.
After the season, Ware entered the transfer portal and chose Indiana, where he found a larger role. He started all 30 games and averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He also showed his potential as a stretch big, shooting 42.5% from the 3-point line, albeit on limited volume (40 attempts from distance all season).
After seeing his NBA stock slide after his freshman season at Oregon — ESPN had him projected as a second-round pick — his production at Indiana this past season seemed to rebuild it some. He's ranked 25th on ESPN's Top 100 draft prospects and is projected as a first-round pick in most mock drafts.
After Tuesday's workout with the Blazers, Ware said he's trying to display his versatility as a big man when working out for teams.
"Showing that I have a shot. Being able to put the ball on the floor. And defend," he said. "Show that I'm an all-around player and not just a back-to-the-basket big."
He said he's also trying push himself through the workouts to quiet questions from critics about his effort level. "Show that I'm in shape, and I can keep going," he said.
The NBA Draft is June 26 and 27. Portland has two first-round picks at No. 7 and No. 14 and two picks in the second round at No. 33 and No. 40.