Former Oregon Duck Dominates at NBA2K Summer League

Former Oregon Basketball player Kel'el Ware, alongside Pac-12 Conference alums Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Keshad Johnson, suited up for the Miami Heat. They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 102-72 at the NBA 2k25 Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jul 10, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) claps from the sideline during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

LAS VEGAS - Former Oregon Duck Kel'el Ware and the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday at NBA2K25 Summer League,102-72 on Monday.  

Ware started the game for the Heat alongside Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Keshad Johnson, two former Pac-12 competitors. Jaquez played for the UCLA Bruins for four seasons from 2019 to 2023, while Johnson began his career at San Diego State before transferring to Arizona for the fifth and final season of his college career.   

Mar 15, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Keisei Tominaga (30) strips the ball from Indiana Hoosiers center Kel'el Ware (1) during the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The former Duck, Ware, started for the Heat and got a double-double. Ware had 11 points, 12 rebounds, a steal and a block.   

"He had three rebounds last game. We challenged him. He wanted the challenge of getting ten-plus, he ended up getting 12," said Miami Heat Summer League head coach Dan Bisaccio. "He took that challenge and responded in a big way."   

During his collegiate career, Ware hit the transfer postal following the 2022-23 season. He began his college career at the University of Oregon, averaging 6.6 points per game, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.   

Feb 11, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman stands with Oregon Ducks center Kel'el Ware (10) during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

After Wares's freshman campaign, he transferred to Indiana, where he experienced instrumental success. Ware started all 30 games for the Hoosiers compared to just four at Oregon. The seven-foot sophomore led the team in scoring (15.9 points per game), rebounding (9.9), blocked shots (1.9), and field goal percentage (58.6).   

Ware was just one of two Big Ten players to average at least 15 points and nine rebounds. The only other player in the conference to do this was Zach Edey, a center out of Purdue, who was drafted in the first round (9th overall) of the 2024 NBA Draft.  

Johnson, who played his last season as an Arizona Wildcat, signed a two-way contract to the Miami Heat shortly after the draft on July 1st. Throughout Summer league, Johnson has showcased his skills and versatility.   

Jul 10, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson (20) after a shot against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Notably, last week in the California Classic, Johnson recorded 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in 30 minutes in the Heat's 80-76 win over the Lakers.   

Johnson's dominance continued into Monday's game against the Thunder. The former Wildcat scored 11 points while also contributing seven rebounds.   

The Miami Heat drafted Jaime Jaquez Junior, a former UCLA Bruin, with the 18th overall pick in the first round last year. As a rookie last season, Jaquez appeared in 25 regular-season games, averaging 11.9 points, 2.6 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field.  

Apr 21, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) controls the ball while Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) defends during the first half in game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The 6-foot-6 guard's rookie season success earned him a spot on the USA Select Team. Jaquez was in Las Vegas for Team USA training camp and remained in Vegas for the first two games of the NBA 2K25 Summer League. He will now head home to Miami to continue working on his game.   

In Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jaquez scored 23 points. He also added five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.   

Ware and Johnson will be in action again Wednesday at noon P.T. Fans can watch the game on ESPN 2.