Chris Bosh has little control over his basketball future.
The Heat sound done with him due to blood-clot issues, but it’s also imprudent for them to waive him before March. So, despite his desire to play again, he’s just biding his time.
One thing Bosh can still control: his agent. He fired Henry Thomas of CAA. Now, he’s hiring Rob Pelinka of Landmark.
Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal:
Chris Bosh has signed with NBA agent Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports Agency.
— Liz Mullen (@SBJLizMullen) November 7, 2016
Assuming Bosh doesn’t play before Feb. 9 – a virtual certainty since Miami controls that – the Heat can then ask a doctor jointly selected by the league and union to rule that Bosh “has an injury or illness that… substantially impairs his ability to play skilled professional basketball at an NBA level and is of such severity that continuing to play professional basketball at an NBA level would subject the player to medically unacceptable risk of suffering a life-threatening or permanently disabling injury or illness.”
Pelinka’s first major responsibility will be lobbying for a doctor whose views align with Bosh’s.
If the doctor rules that it is safe for Bosh to play – he contends it is – Miami would have no salary-cap incentive to waive him. He’d likely resume his career with the Heat, though they obviously find that highly unlikely.
If the doctor rules it’s unsafe for Bosh to play, Miami would likely waive Bosh in March. The Heat would have to continue paying him, but his salary would no longer count toward the cap.
This is where Pelinka would have his work cut out for him. Bosh says it’s not about the money. He just wants to play. But would teams really sign and play him after a jointly selected doctor rules against him? Good luck convincing them, Rob.
