Rumors have hit hard that the Miami Heat will waive former All-Star forward Chris Bosh on March 1st so they can take his salary off their books, and use it to sign players that will help them build for the future.
Bosh is eligible to that waiver starting February 9th and if the Heat wait until the rumored date of March 1st, Bosh will be ineligible to play for any other team in the playoffs. This would stop several contending teams from adding a capable player to bolster their bench should Bosh be healthy enough to play again.
Bosh and his Injury
This situation has temporarily ended to Bosh’s illustrious basketball career. The 32-year old has not played a game since before the last All-Star game as he failed his physical in September, which kept him out of team training camps and off the court ever since.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Bosh spoke about what might be in store for his future and how basketball will be involved.
“What I would say to the people who just see the money and kind of see my situation and say, ‘Hey, just walk away.’ I get it. I totally get it. I understand you. I hear you,” Bosh said. “But I’m not really thinking about money. I’m just thinking about where my heart is. I love the NBA. I love playing basketball every day for a living.”
When asked about a potential return he never rules it out. He responds most of the time with things like “I have a lot to work through,” or how he will be “following his heart to find what makes him happy.”
“I’m still learning more about myself and my situation, and really off the court how to function there because I’m kind of getting the taste of retirement now,” Bosh said.
Heat Check
If Bosh does end up healthy enough to make a comeback in the future, it will most likely be in a jersey not bearing the Heat logo. Pat Riley, the GM for the Miami Heat, has been open with his view on Bosh and how he thinks the path for him does not remain in Miami.
“I think Chris is still open-minded,” Riley said. “But we are not working toward his return. We feel that, based on the last exam, that his Heat career is probably over.”
Riley has already moved on towards rebuilding the team and with teams trying to pry point guard Goran Dragic away, it seems a younger core might hit south beach soon.
Bosh is under contract through the 2018-19 season and his salary rises to nearly $27 million in the final year of the deal. This is a lot even by current market money and would help the Heat in trying to build their new nucleus.
On to Chicago?
If both Miami and Bosh part ways, who could be interested in the aging star? If he is comfortable with how his body feels and thinks he can make a comeback, it isn’t wrong to think teams will line up to bring him in.
The first team that comes to mind and by far the most vocal about it are the Chicago Bulls. Since the rumors have been spreading let’s address them.
The Bulls have one of Bosh’s running mates from Miami in Dwayne Wade and a distinct need of more talented players in the post area. This makes since for the Bulls if they are serious about contending with their current roster and not blowing up their team completely.
It doesn’t however make a lot of sense for Bosh in two ways.
- The Bulls aren’t close to contending with Cleveland in the East and if he does go there, it is not a guarantee that they will even make it to the playoffs.
- They cannot afford to pay him even a decent salary if they plan on filling the gaps and covering their current weaknesses in the offseason.
This doesn’t mean the Bulls shouldn’t go after him, but with all of issues Bosh has suffered, it isn’t unreasonable to see him want to join a team that has more than Chicago can offer him.
Joining the King?
The other obvious one is Cleveland, the top team in the East right now and home of LeBron James, the other member of the Heatles. While they also have the monetary issues that would come with offering Bosh a respectable deal, they are also the closest to a sure thing you can have when talking about title contention.
James would happily find a way to bring in his former teammate if he is sure Bosh is healthy enough to play and can provide them anything close to what he did in Miami. This would give the Cavaliers more depth on their bench and a great scorer both in the post and from outside. Add Bosh to the recently acquired Korver and there might not be a team that can spread the floor better at all five positions in the entire league.
Consider that all of this is speculation based on Bosh being able to comeback from the devastating time in his career.
Other teams that might show interest are the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and the team that drafted him, the Toronto Raptors.
