The Heat’s triumvirate of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, all possess early-termination options (ETO) in their contracts before next season, which would make all three unrestricted free agents this summer. Back in March, Bosh seemed to say he and ‘Bron were staying, and Bosh reiterated his stance when he told ESPN radio yesterday he’d accept less money if it meant staying with the Heat.
Via the Palm Beach Post‘s Jason Lieser, comes another Bosh comment during his appearance on the Dan LaBatard show Tuesday afternoon:
Bosh was asked about his upcoming opportunity to leave in free agency during an appearance on The Dan LeBatard Show this afternoon and said, “Yeah, I mean, I don’t want to go anywhere. I like it here. It’s Miami. Everybody wants to come here. Yeah.”
When asked if he would accept a below-market offer from the Heat, he answered, “If that’s what it takes.”
Bosh has already sacrificed his game to play with ‘Bron and Wade, as LaBatard himself mentions in a recent piece for the Miami Herald about LeBron’s trust in the Heat organization.
CB’s seen his underrated post-up game creep steadily towards the perimeter, where he’s become a dangerous floor-spacing three-point shooter for small-ball Heat lineups where he shoulders the burden of defending the opposing team’s center.
By way of reddit, comes this GIF of Bosh’s shot chart over the years, clearly showing a more perimeter-oriented attack:
If Bosh, ‘Bron and D-Wade opt-in for next season, plus Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem — who both have player options for next season as well — the Heat just have to waive Justin Hamilton and sign rookie-scale or minimum-level contracts to to fall below the estimated luxury tax line next season.
They can also use the extra money to round out their 13-man roster, or use part of the mid-level exemption to re-sign unrestricted free agents Mario Chalmers and Ray Allen. Bosh doesn’t need to take a pay cut, but his comments show how much a sacrifice — even a financial one — some players are willing to make in order to win.
Will Bosh opt-in for next season in Miami?
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