The situation between Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat has gotten quite complicated as questions remain about the 11-time All-Star’s health. With Bosh still taking blood thinners, some wonder if he will ever be able to play in the NBA again. And if he does, do the Heat even want him?
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that there are some within Bosh’s camp who are “angry and suspicious of the Heat’s intentions.” The concern is that the team could be trying to keep Bosh sidelined in an attempt to clear cap space if his injury is eventually deemed serious enough to be career-ending.
A friend of Bosh’s who is also an NBA employee told Jackson that Bosh wants to play next season and believes he should be cleared. Heat president Pat Riley recently said he is open to Bosh playing, and Riley reportedly told free agents that the team expects Bosh back on the court.
Bosh had a blood clot scare in each of the last two seasons, and there have been rumblings that the Heat will never let him play as long as doctors say he needs to remain on blood thinners. Bosh’s camp has argued that the 32-year-old should be able to play as long as he takes the medication at a time when it is out of his system by game time, thus reducing the risk of a minor cut or injury becoming a serious health concern. If doctors clear Bosh to come off the medication, there’s no reason he can’t play.
As Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk laid out, the Heat would not simply be able to void the $75 million owed to Bosh over the next three seasons if his condition is career-ending. The money simply wouldn’t count toward the salary cap.
Another interesting wrinkle to this story is the information we recently shared with you about Bosh playing the Heat for a max contract. Is the team still bitter over that and trying to make up for it? You’d hate to think they’d take advantage of a serious health condition.
