How Kel'el Ware Can Flourish Under Taylor Jenkins After a Trade to the Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks made a massive trade on Monday night, sending Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks (No. 13, 2031,a nd 2033), a 2030 first-round pick swap and a 2033 second-rounder.

As the Bucks are now in full rebuild mode, the player with the most upside in the deal is without question Kel'el Ware. The big man spent 34 games as a starter for the Heat and played in 77 of the 82 possible.

He took 8.4 shots per game, and made 53% of them, while also connecting on 39% of his three-point shots. His back-and-forth role with the Heat left him frustrated and former coach Erik Spoelstra wasn't shy about making public comments about his up-and-down play.

Rocky Relationship with Coaches

Ware found himself in Spoelstra's doghouse on more than one occasion, being benched in crucial parts of the game. He also heard Spoelstra challenge him through the media for having inconsistent effort and the breakdowns he had defensively in pick-and-roll coverages. While he did not react in a negative way, he did tell reporters that Spo's comments were "crazy to hear", and expressed the difficulties of getting into a rhythm with inconsistent minutes.

Some players can handle tough love, and others can't. Dana Altman, Ware's head coach his freshman season at Oregon publicly ridiculed Ware's efforts and it led to a series of frustration. Altman reduced Ware's role on the team and held him out of games during critical moments of the season. Ware ultimately transferred from Oregon to Indiana, where he was recruited to come play for Mike Woodson, a former NBA head coach.

Ware Woody — Indiana's Kel'el Ware (1) listens to Coach Mike Woodson during the second half of the Indiana versus Purdue men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ware publicly praised Woodson for pushing him out of his comfort zone and helping him prepare for the NBA Draft. There were some tough coaching moments where Woodson challenged Ware to play with a more consistent motor, and he didn't take the critique personally and learned from those mistakes. After his sophomore season, Ware entered the NBA Draft and said that Coach Woodson had a special place in his heart.

Playing for Taylor Jenkins

Jenkins took over as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019-2020 season, replacing J.B. Bickerstaff. The Grizzlies staff brought Jenkins in because they wanted a modern forward-thinking coach to help launch a rebuild. That is exactly what the Bucks are doing now.

Back in 2019, the Grizzlies moved up in the NBA Draft Lottery and were awarded the No. 2 overall selection. This was the start of a new era in Memphis as the dynamic point guard, Ja Morant, was taken with the second overall pick and became the new face of the Grizzlies franchise after belonging to Mike Conley Jr., Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol for so long.

Taylor Jenkins and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Taylor JJJ — Feb 28, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins gives directions to forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during a free throw in the fourth quarter of the game with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies had the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, and took the talented power forward from Michigan State, Indianapolis native, Jaren Jackson Jr. He had a solid rookie season and finished 4th in Rookie of the Year voting, while also making the All Rookie Team.

While the foundation was laid with Bickerstaff, Jenkins really put Jackson Jr. in the best position to excel. After averaging 13.8 points in his rookie season, Jackson Jr. improved to 17.4 points per game in his second season. The reason for this uptick in scoring, Jenkins empowered Jackson Jr. to shoot more threes, improving from 2.4 attempts to 6.5 attempts per game.

Recovering from Injury and Flourishing as the Defensive Player of the Year

JJJ — Aug 2, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) reacts after a play against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Landis/Pool Photo via Imagn Images | Pool Photo-Imagn Images

Unfortunately the season came to a screeching halt thanks to Covid-19. When Jackson Jr. returned to action in 'The Bubble', he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. This held him out of action for the remainder of the 'The Bubble' games and he missed the first 60 games of his third season.

After gaining great momentum prior to his injury, you'd think he'd have a slow start getting back to things, but his fourth season was quite the opposite. Jackson had a terrific fourth season where he came fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named to the All-Defensive First Team.

Jackson used this momentum to win the Defensive Player of the Year the following season and was name an All-Star for the first time in 2022-23. Taylor Jenkins took a raw and talented Jackson Jr. and turned him into a face of the franchise.

Behind the Relationship with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Taylor Jenkins

JJJ — Feb 12, 2020; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins talks with forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-Imagn Images | Justin Ford-Imagn Images

According to an interview with Jackson Jr. from The Athletic, the multi-time All-Star told Kelly Iko that his relationship with Jenkins is built on trust, mutual respect, and honesty. Jackson credited Jenkins for keeping him grounded and recalibrating his focus during tough portions of the season. The biggest thing for Jackson, he always felt Coach Jenkins always had his back.

Once Jenkins was fired by the Grizzlies in 2025, Jackson Jr. told Wendell Shepherd Jr. of The Memphis Commercial Appeal this, "That’s my dog. That will forever be my dog,” Jackson Jr. said. “It was surprising. It would have been surprising at any point. He had a great impact while he was here. He’s gonna be one of the more sought-after coaches in his journey elsewhere and deservedly so.”

Having a coach that empowers a player to be the best version of themselves, backs them up behind closed doors and in front of a microphone, while also coaching them hard is the best leader a young player can have. Jenkins has proven that he is capable of being a strong developmental coach, but can Ware put in the work in on his end?

Taylor Jenkins and Kel'el Ware

The former Indiana Hoosiers big man, Kel'el Ware, will now get a fresh start with his new head coach Taylor Jenkins. The first two seasons in Miami were solid for Ware under Erik Spoelstra, but he never really developed the way that Heat had hoped.

We have seen the success story that came with Jaren Jackson Jr. thanks to the great development from Taylor Jenkins and his team; and now, they have a terrific opportunity to do it again with Ware.

Ware is arguably the highest-ceiling player involved in the trade return for Giannis and that can come with a lot of pressure. However, the Bucks have zero expectations to be good next season and their main objective is to grow their young talent and see what they have.

Being more of a focal point of the offense, being asked to do more on the defensive side of the ball, and not having to worry about being pulled in and out of the lineup could be the fresh start that Ware needs.

Myles Turner Trade Would Help Clear Path

Milwaukee is actively looking to trade Myles Turner now that the Giannis Era is officially over, and not having Turner standing in his way should clear the path for Ware to start. If Turner is still on the roster, there are things Ware can learn from the veteran big man, as he developed into one of the better stretch bigs next to Tyrese Haliburton with the Pacers.

However, the best way for Ware to grow is by a larger opportunity. He understands the ins-and-outs of the business, and after two seasons of getting his feet wet, he can apply everything he learned from Miami and approach the 2026-27 season with a clearer mindset knowing that his role is defined.

At 22 years old, Ware is just scratching the surface of what he can become as a player and if he can buy into what Coach Jenkins and his staff asks of him, than he could flourish into one of the better stretch bigs in the NBA.

Using the Jaren Jackson Jr. blueprint as a model for success, the ball is now in Ware's court to take advantage of this opportunity. He has all the tools that modern NBA big men strive to possess, giving him the potential to develop into a long-term starter and eventually an All-Star.

If things go sout between Jenkins and Ware, it would likely say more about Ware than it would about the previous coaches who have quesitoned his inconsistent motor.

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