The Miami Heat’s season ended on Sunday when they lost Game 7 of their matchup with the Toronto Raptors.
The Heat were just one game away from making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but Miami fans will always be left to think of ‘what might have been’ if the team had been fully healthy. Chris Bosh last played for the Heat on February 9 before a blood clot issue ended his season early for the second year in a row.
When healthy, Bosh is still the Heat’s best player and one of the best forwards in the entire league. However, the key phrase there is “when healthy.” Bosh desperately wanted to rejoin the team during their playoff run, but the team’s doctors told him no.
Now, Miami is faced with a tough choice. Bosh is under contract for the next two years, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says that the team is secretly fearful that the doctors will never clear him to play again.
There is a fear within the Heat organization that Bosh’s condition will prevent him from ever being cleared to play by team doctors, several sources said. It’s a result of exhaustive consultations with specialists. Something this big and delicate, the sides have gone deep attempting to understand all the options.
Because of that, the Heat may be forced to make a choice they don’t want to make with Bosh and move on, as relying on his health next season is an extremely risky move.
Bosh wants to return to play, this is clear. The Heat would love to have Bosh back, this is clear. Miami’s position has been one of protecting Bosh, both medically and with the public as their silence has been at Bosh’s direction.
But there’s also this reality: The Heat have had two seasons derailed because of Bosh’s medical issues. If their doctors don’t think he can be cleared to play, the team has to protect itself from having the turn of events affect not only Bosh’s personal health but also the health of the team.
If Bosh doesn’t play by February 9 of next year, the team is allowed to have an independent doctor come in and make a recommendation on his status. If that doctor says he can’t play, the Heat are allowed to take his contract off the books.
But there’s another issue, one the Heat might have to contemplate. There’s a possibility that Bosh gets cleared to play again only to have the blood clots come back for a third time. In that scenario, the team would have to wait another full year before taking his contract off the books.
It’s an awful situation to be in, both for Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.
(Via ESPN)
