Breaking: Pat Riley Shares Honest Admission About Heat’s 20-year-old Freshman Ahead of summer league in Las Vegas…

Pat Riley Opens Up About Heat’s 20-Year-Old Rookie Ahead of Vegas Summer League

Pat Riley believes the Miami Heat landed their desired pick with Kel’el Ware.

This year’s draft was smoother than in previous years. With the No. 15 pick, the Heat had a clear idea of their target, hoping he’d still be available.

Fortunately, Indiana Hoosiers center Kel’el Ware was on the board, making the decision straightforward for the Heat.

“We feel very fortunate to have secured the specific player we wanted,” said Heat president Pat Riley. “His name kept coming up, and his workout was outstanding. We were committed to him throughout the process.”

Ware was introduced to the South Florida media on Friday.

JAQUEZ TO JOIN U.S. SELECT TEAM

Heat forward Jaime Jaquez won’t compete in the Olympics but will gain valuable experience. He was named to the Select Team that will train against the U.S. Olympic team from July 6-8 in Las Vegas. Jaquez considered representing Mexico in Paris but decided against it and will also skip the Las Vegas Summer League.

Full Roster for the U.S. Select Team:

• Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons)
• Cooper Flagg (Duke University)
• Langston Galloway (Free Agent)
• Nigel Hayes-Davis (Fenerbahçe, Turkey)
• Trayce Jackson-Davis (Golden State Warriors)
• Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat)
• Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets)
• Trey Murphy (New Orleans Pelicans)
• Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
• Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors)
• Micah Potter (Utah Jazz/Salt Lake City Stars)
• Payton Pritchard (Boston Celtics)
• Jabari Smith Jr. (Houston Rockets)
• Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic)
• Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets)

SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE IN VEGAS

With the NBA draft complete, the Miami Heat are focused on developing their young talent. The Summer League schedule in Las Vegas includes five games, with one matchup still to be determined. Here’s the lineup:

• Sat. July 13, 6:30 p.m. vs. Celtics (NBA TV)
• Mon. July 15, 6 p.m. vs. Thunder (ESPNU)
• Wed. July 17, 3 p.m. vs. Mavericks (ESPN2)
• Fri. July 19, 9 p.m. vs. Raptors (ESPN+)