Heat’s Kel’el Ware available for opener vs. Magic despite sprained ankle
Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware will be available for Wednesday night’s regular-season opener against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.
Ware sprained his left ankle toward the end of Tuesday’s practice in Miami and was listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest before the Heat deemed him available for the first regular-season game just a few hours before tipoff.
“I was just going up for a layup and I just landed wrong,” Ware, 21, said following Wednesday’s morning shootaround session in Orlando when asked how he hurt his ankle on Tuesday.
“I tried to walk it off a little bit, and then the decision was just to go down and look at it. So that was really it.”
Ware is coming off a strong preseason, averaging 17.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in six exhibition appearances.
Ware earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team last season after being taken by the Heat with the 15th overall pick in last year’s draft.
The only Heat players ruled out for the regular-season opener are Tyler Herro (left ankle surgery) and Kasparas Jakucionis (right groin strain). Herro and Jakucionis did not travel with the team to Orlando for the start of the Heat’s two-game trip that ends Friday against the Grizzlies in Memphis.
The Magic will only be without center Moritz Wagner (left knee injury recovery) on Wednesday against the Heat.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 12:27 PM.
