The 2024 NBA Draft class was once considered historically weak. Not one player was expected to contribute immediately as each of the top prospects had glaring weaknesses or were considered glorified role players, at best.

A year later, the consensus has shifted. While the 2024 draft class shouldn’t be lauded, it’s not as weak as originally expected. First overall pick Zaccharie Risacher turned some heads as the year progressed, fourth-overall pick Stephon Castle took home Rookie of the Year after averaging 14.7 points per game, and numerous rookies, throughout both rounds, made high-level impacts for their respective squads.

Like most of the draft class, Chicago Bulls’ rookie Matas Buzelis took some time to find his bearings. The 11th overall pick scored double-digits in only six of Chicago’s first 47 contests. Buzelis didn’t see his first start until February 5. However, he put his vast potential on display following the trade deadline.

Following the trade deadline, Buzelis averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 26.7 minutes per game. His second-half season surge earned him seventh place in Rookie of the Year voting. Thus, the 6-foot-10 forward should land on the All-Rookie Second Team, making it the fourth Bull to earn such an honor this decade.

Kel’el Ware could have been the Bulls’ center of the future

Still, despite Buzelis’ month-to-month progression and potential accolades, there’s one player whom Chicago could regret passing on in last June’s draft. That would be Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware. The 21-year-old was drafted four picks after Buzelis, going 15th to Miami.

Coming out of Indiana, by way of Oregon, Ware was billed as an athletic, versatile, two-way center with shooting touch. The downsides to Ware were primarily mental. A lack of determination, focus, and consistency was a common gripe in the pre-draft process.

While time will tell if Ware’s high motor and consistency persist, his rookie season was nothing short of impressive. The 7-footer averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 22.2 minutes per game. Like Buzelis, Ware improved as the season wore on. He only appeared in 15 contests before the New Year and failed to reach double-digits. Ware’s breakout came in January, when the big man averaged 13.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and drilled 44.7 percent of his three-pointers.

The former Hoosier paired well with 6-foot-9 Bam Adebayo and demonstrated dominance on the glass. Ware grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 23 games this past season. The intrigue with Ware is extremely evident. He’s displayed advanced offensive skill as a rookie, from spot-up shooting to low-post and pick-and-roll scoring, Ware can do it all.

Moreover, Ware is an imposing interior defender at 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-4 wingspan. The timing is a work in progress, but he still averaged over a block a game as a rookie. Ware’s opponents shot 1.0 percent worse when defended by the Miami big man. The 21-year-old fared well against finesse bigs but struggled against brute centers. For instance, Nikola Vucevic shot merely 3-of-10 against Ware in 10 minutes, while Ivica Zubac converted 9-of-13 field goals in eight minutes. Nonetheless, adding weight and continued reps will aid Ware’s defensive development.

The Bulls would have greatly benefited from Ware’s presence both on offense and defense. The 7-footer recorded 128 dunks this past season, nearly double Chicago’s leader, coincidentally, Buzelis. Ware is a picture-perfect roll man next to point guard Josh Giddey, who didn’t have an alley-oop partner in Chicago.

Ware also fits Billy Donovan’s offensive scheme as a center who can stretch the floor. He didn’t experiment too often, letting it fly from deep, but the results were still promising. Ware converted 31.5 percent of his 111 three-point attempts.

Lastly, as an athletic 7-footer, Ware would have automatically become the Bulls’ most imposing defender. He’s a much different archetype than all of Chicago’s bigs. Ware would have either been granted the opportunity to come off the bench for a year or two, or even started alongside the more perimeter-oriented Vucevic in year one.