Kel’el Ware Contract & Salary

Kel’el Ware is a C for the Milwaukee Bucks, earning $4,654,920 in 2026-27. Contract runs through 2027-28 ($11,790,912 guaranteed). Flagged years: 2027-28 team option.

Updated · 2026–27 season

Kel’el Ware is on the books for $4,654,920 in 2026–27, the 12th largest cap hit on the Milwaukee Bucks roster and 2.8% of the team's $168.3M payroll.

That ranks 275th among the 444 players with a 2026–27 salary on the books, and eats 2.8% of the $165.0M salary cap.

The deal has 2 seasons left on it, running through 2027-28, worth $11,790,912 in guaranteed money.

The money climbs as it goes: $4,654,920 in the first year up to $7,135,992 in the last, a 53% rise across the deal.

Not every year is locked in: 2027-28 team option.

The option year belongs to the team, which makes that season a decision point rather than a commitment: it can be picked up cheaply or declined outright.

At 22, he is still inside the cheap early-career window; this deal runs through his age-23 season, before the expensive years start.

He sits in the bottom third of the roster by salary, the part of the payroll teams use to fill out the depth chart without moving the cap needle.

He is one of 17 players on the Milwaukee Bucks' books for 2026–27, whose 2026–27 salaries add up to $168,320,596.

Milwaukee Bucks sit at $168.3M in payroll and are currently classified Over Cap, with +$13.9M of room below the first apron.

Kel’el Ware
C Milwaukee Bucks · age 22
2026–27 Salary
$4.65M
% of Cap
2.8%
Years Remaining
2
Total Guaranteed
$11.79M
Contract by Season
SeasonSalary% of CapNote
2026-27$4,654,9202.8%
2027-28$7,135,9924.3%team option
2028-29RFA / $21.4M
2029-30
2030-31
Milwaukee Bucks Cap Context
Team PayrollCap SpaceTax Room1st Apron Room2nd Apron Room
$168.3M-$25.3M+$10.1M+$13.9M+$26.6M
Highest-Paid Milwaukee Bucks Teammates
PosPlayerAge2026-27% of Cap
SGTyler Herro26$33,000,00020.0%
CMyles Turner30$26,584,16416.1%
PFKyle Kuzma31$20,490,15212.4%
SGGary Trent Jr.27$15,200,0009.2%
SGCaris LeVert32$14,809,2009.0%
SGAJ Green26$10,044,6446.1%
Comparable 2026-27 Contracts
RankPlayerTeam2026-27vs Ware
273Julian StrawtherDenver Nuggets$4,826,931+$172,011
274Bennett StirtzOklahoma City Thunder$4,717,320+$62,400
276Yang HansenPortland Trail Blazers$4,643,520-$11,400
277Gui SantosGolden State Warriors$4,629,630-$25,290
278Josh MinottBrooklyn Nets$4,500,000-$154,920