MIAMI - While the NBA personnel market is in a signing moratorium until 12:01 p.m. Saturday, there are exceptions to the waiting period, with the Miami Heat taking advantage of one to sign first-round pick Kel'el Ware.

Because the salary slots of first-round picks are pre-assigned, the Heat were allowed at the start of the league's 2024-25 salary-cap calendar to reach the agreement with the center taken out of Indiana at No. 15.

Ware is slotted into a contract worth $20.5 million over the next four seasons, starting at $4.2 million for the coming season.

Under terms of the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, Ware is ineligible to be dealt for 30 days from his signing, with that clock starting on July 1.

Ware is poised to join the Heat in San Francisco for the start of the team's offseason camp that will lead to summer-league play in the California Classic this weekend on the court of the Golden State Warriors and then in the larger NBA Summer League in Las Vegas starting on July 13..

Players do not have to be under contract to participate in summer league, but high draft picks typically reach agreements before such appearances.

Ware, a 7-footer who was selected to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team, started all 30 games for Indiana last season, leading the Hoosiers in scoring, rebounding, blocks, field-goal percentage and double-doubles. He averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.87 blocks, 1.5 assists in 32.1 minutes, shooting .586 from the field, .425 on 3-pointers and .634 from the line.

He was one of only three Indiana players over the last 25 years to average at least 15 points and 9 rebounds in a season.

(Plus at least one additional game in Las Vegas, based on results from previous four.)