NBA Rumors: Miami Heat Now Receiving Insurance Relief For Chris Bosh’s Contract

Chris Bosh’s contract is paying off for the Miami Heat once again. Unfortunately, it is not the way that the Heat nor Bosh envisioned. For Bosh and the Heat, the clock has officially started. What will happen between these parties is yet to be determined. At least some clarification to their situation is starting to come to the light.

What we know is that the Miami Heat have not cleared Chris Bosh to resume playing for the team. Bosh failed a physical with the Heat prior to the start of training camp, according to ESPN. And honestly, there is likely zero chance that the Heat will clear Bosh to play.

After having two seasons ending prematurely with a pulmonary embolism, the Miami Heat have basically said no to Chris Bosh. And there is nothing he or the team can do to change that.

Fear of another setback to Chris Bosh’s health is the reason why the Heat have all but refused to medically clear him. Some people have speculated that the ability to get the star forward’s contract off their salary cap is the reason why the Heat have sat him down.

The Miami Heat have to pay the $76 million remaining on his contract. That is unless Bosh retires.

Chris Bosh, still in limbo but not ready to retire, has hired a new agent. Story: https://t.co/OHII9l5SUu pic.twitter.com/xqauEa2zJS

— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 8, 2016

Chris Bosh will retire, but not without making at least one last attempt to play. According to Hoops Rumors, he has hired a new agent, which all but assures that he will look to play again. The Heat did get some good news. It seems that the Miami Heat has some salary relief.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that the Heat are now collecting insurance from Chris Bosh’s NBA contract. The insurance the Heat are receiving from the league will help the team absorb some of Bosh’s salary. It also puts the Heat one step closer from asking the NBA offices for a medical exception, which the Heat can petition for after February 9.

Inquisitr previously reported that if the Heat are granted a medical exception for Chris Bosh, they could release him from his contract, making him an NBA free agent.

Other teams will indeed look to sign Bosh if and when this happens. The list of teams could include the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and Toronto Raptors.

One thing to remember is that the Miami Heat still has to pay Chris Bosh if he is released out of his contract. It just will not count against the salary cap, thus allowing the Heat to go after free agents next offseason. If he gets a shot with another team it could be for the prorated league minimum. The trick for Bosh is proving that he can stay healthy.

Medical experts weighed-in on Bosh’s health woes (courtesy of the Miami Herald) after the second pulmonary embolism scare.

Dr. Robert Myerburg, an expert in athletes and cardiology from UHealth offered what he felt were the risks for Chris Bosh.

“The problem is if you’re on blood thinners and have trauma, say you get hit in the head, that could end up being fatal or disabling. There’s a lot of precautions about this. … The one we worry about most is bleed in the brain.”

The worry for the Heat is that Chris Bosh was found to have blood clots in his lungs. It is completely understandable why the Miami Heat want to take every precaution possible with Bosh. That includes advising him to retire if it is necessary.

The situation between the Miami Heat and Chris Bosh is delicate to say the least. And it is safe to say that the Heat will justified to take whichever stance they choose. If the motivation for the Heat is to save money, again that will not happen unless Bosh retires. Because the Heat are aware that Bosh want to attempt to play again, they understand that is a possibility when they petition for a medical exception.

The NBA has granted the Miami Heat the ability to collect insurance on Chris Bosh’s contract. It is a strong chance that the league will give the Heat the medical exception as well.

[Featured Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]