The Miami Heat don’t seem too enthusiastic about bringing Chris Bosh back, and seem to be looking for ways to remove his salary from their cap. Meanwhile, Bosh is going with a social media campaign to show everyone he’s ready to be back on the court.
Bosh 29 games last season and 38 games in 2014-2015 due to blood clots, and is looking to be medically cleared by the team (players have to pass physicals before training camp begins in late September), something the Heat seem to be in no rush of doing. Bosh has been working out with Dwyane Wade, who left the Heat this summer, posting videos online, trying to put some pressure on the Heat to bring him back into the fold.
The Heat don’t want Bosh playing while taking blood thinners or abandoning medication in order to return. He was trying to make a case with the players union before the 2016 playoffs to force his return, but he came to an agreement with the team to hold off any action against them. The league itself might get involved at some point as the two sides hope to come to a resolution, but right now both sides want something different. The Heat would like the $76 million Bosh is still owed to be off their books, and help out with their cap situation.
Can the Heat remove him from the cap? One reports suggests that if Bosh doesn’t play for more than a year due to medical reasons (and a doctor approved by both the league and the NBPA need to sign off on it) the Heat can get their way. But something in the labor agreement might make it easier for the Heat to exclude his salary beginning from next summer: If he plays less than 10 games in a year timeframe and has a career-ending incident, with preseason games not counting towards the total, but playoff games do.
Bosh is obviously going to fight any attempt to force him to retire, or at least force him off the team, and might eventually turn to the players union, trying to oppose any doctors the league might choose they feel would decide that Bosh’s condition is worthy of calling career-ending, or putting him at serious risk. The preseason period of the 2016-2017 campaign isn’t that far away, and the battle between the Heat and Bosh is only going to intensify.
However, one interesting note is that owner Micky Arison tweeted something positive about Bosh, claiming he likes what he saw in the videos, suggesting he’s looking forward to seeing Bosh in camp. A possible solution to the situation, or just something to ease the mind of Bosh and fans for the time being?
Looking good CB @chrisbosh look forward to seeing in camp🏀 https://t.co/zR9uI6emqr
— Micky Arison (@MickyArison) August 31, 2016