For now, expect Aug. 31 to come and go without the Heat utilizing the stretch provision for the simple matter that if utilized next summer, when Bosh will have $52,127,110 left on the final two years of his contract, that amount could then be stretched over five years (the two remaining times two, plus one), with cap hits of $10,425,422, virtually the same amount going forward per year, with the benefit of such an agreement running out in 2021-22. If stretched by this Aug. 31, Bosh’s annual cap hits would run through 2022-23.
The only tangible difference for stretching by the end of this month would be to open additional cap space for this season, with a stretch by Aug. 31 saving the Heat $12,875,750 against the cap this coming season, enough to again drop them below the cap. The negligible gain, however, does not appear a priority, considering the Heat’s likely modest goals for the upcoming season if Bosh is not available.
There’s nothing the Heat could do with the freed-up short term cap space right now, so if there’s still a chance Bosh could play, it would make sense to keep him around. We’ll get an answer this year: either he’ll be fully healthy and play the year or the blood clots will return for a third time, making it even more unlikely he can continue his career. With any luck, it’s the former — the NBA is better when Bosh is healthy and playing at a high level.