The Miami Heat are a team in transition after losing Dwyane Wade to the Bulls, yet they still have one star on their roster in Chris Bosh.
However, Bosh's NBA future is very much in flux as blood clots have cut each of his last two seasons short. He is due nearly $77 million over the next season seasons, which handicaps the Heat as the try to rebuild.
That money comes off the books if the blood clots force Bosh to medically retire, which would obviously benefit Miami, as it would suddenly give them a huge amount of cap space to lure free agents. According to Ryan Yousefi of the Miami New Times, the Heat may be trying to force Bosh out:
Bosh last took the court for the Heat February 9. League rules state if he's unable to play again before February 9 next season, an independent doctor must make a recommendation to the league about whether he is fit to ever take the court again.
If the doctor deems Bosh's career over, the Heat can then take his contract off the books. The team will then have his $26 million salary available to spend, while the Heat's insurance is likely to take care of paying Bosh himself. For all intents and purposes, it's a medical amnesty.
All of this begs the question: If the Heat were willing to let the best player in franchise history go because of his contract demands, what would make anyone believe the team doesn't prefers to get out from underneath the $26 million it owes to a player it not only doesn't believe it can count on finishing a season, but also is fearful could suffer a fatal injury at any moment on the court?
Bosh was clamoring to return to the court in the playoffs last season, saying he was ready to play, but team doctors still have not given him the clearance to return to playing.
The 32-year-old averaged 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in 53 games last season.
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