Chris Bosh Won't Return to Heat: Latest Comments and Reaction
Miami Heat president Pat Riley said on Sept. 26 he believes forward Chris Bosh's career with the franchise is over.
"We are not [working toward Bosh's return]," Riley said, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I think Chris is still open-minded. But we are not working toward his return. We feel that, based on the last exam, that his Heat career is probably over."
On Friday, a Heat spokesman said Riley contacted Bosh, his agent and manager without a reply after the comments, per Winderman.
The Heat announced Bosh had failed his preseason physical and would not be cleared for a return to basketball activities. Citing confidentiality, the team did not disclose the reason for Bosh's failure.
The 11-time All-Star was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg last February, the second straight year his season ended early due to a clot. He was previously hospitalized in February 2015 when a potentially life-threatening blood clot traveled to his lungs.
The team and Bosh have disagreed on how to handle his prognosis for months. Bosh tried convincing the team to allow him to play while on blood thinners during the 2016 playoffs but was denied. Heat doctors and Bosh's physicians explored whether it was possible for Bosh to continue his career on the medication—perhaps by timing it a certain way to ensure his safety.
There have been other instances of professional athletes playing while taking blood thinners. Speaking as part of his UNINTERRUPTED documentary series, taped before he failed his physical, Bosh said he disagreed with the contention his career was over.
"Seeing the team doctors, they told me that my season is over, my career is probably over and this just happens, this is just how it is," Bosh said. "I felt right away that I was written off. It was [claps hands together] put it to the side matter-of-factly. If a doctor tells me, 'Hey that's it and this is how that is,' and I don't buy that. I have the right to disagree with you."
However, it appears the Heat aren't willing to take on the risk. If he's deemed unable to play, the Heat can petition the NBA to wipe off the remaining $75 million due to Bosh over the next three years from their salary cap. Bosh will still get paid, with an insurance policy offsetting about half of that number.
Matters become more complicated if Bosh intends to pursue playing—as he seemingly indicated this week.
"Setbacks may happen, but my intentions remain the same," Bosh said on Twitter. "Thank you all for the warm wishes and support."
If the Heat release Bosh and are granted a medical retirement waiver and then he comes back to play for another team, those cap savings instantly vanish. The money gets accelerated onto Miami's cap, potentially preventing free-agent pickups and hamstringing it for the next couple of seasons. Miami would also risk losing Bosh, a perennial All-Star, for nothing.
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