Sources: Heat increasingly believe Bosh's career with franchise is over
After a battery of medical examinations, the Miami Heat have declined to clear All-Star forward Chris Bosh for training camp and increasingly believe that his career with the franchise is over, league sources told The Vertical.
Another bout of blood clotting was a significant part of the failed physical, and Bosh’s chances of resuming his NBA career are in a perilous state, sources said.
There’s been a complete breakdown in communication between Heat president Pat Riley and Bosh, sources said. Bosh has been reluctant to talk with Riley, sources said, although Riley and Heat officials are hopeful for a chance to sit down with Bosh soon and discuss his future.
Riley, owner Micky Arison and the Heat doctors have been fearful of the potential health risks of Bosh trying to navigate the recurring blood clots with an NBA playing career, and it is unlikely that Bosh will find any team willing to clear him with the grave dangers associated with his health plight.
Bosh met with Heat doctors for several days in Miami, and flew to New York mid-week for consultation with NBA physicians once another blood clot appeared to be recurring, league sources said.
The Heat issued a statement Friday saying that Bosh hadn’t been cleared for resumption of basketball activities and there was no timetable for his return.
After months of searching for a way to play again despite repeated instances of blood clots, Bosh had been working with medical specialists to find a way to resume his career.
Bosh, 32, has three years and $75.8 million left on his contract. The Heat could get salary cap relief should Bosh remain inactive for one year, with the team being able to apply to have his salary excluded in February.
After a blood clot in his calf moved to his lungs in 2015, Bosh missed the final 30 games of the season. He took blood thinners for several months following the 2015 clotting.
Another clot surfaced on All-Star Weekend in February in Toronto, ending Bosh’s season for a second straight year.
Bosh won NBA championships with the 2012 and 2013 Heat, and averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and one block in his 13-year career. He spent his first seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors before joining the Heat in 2010.
The Miami Herald first reported clotting issues were found during Bosh’s examinations and that he would not be cleared.
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