Reports: Miami Heat, Chris Bosh have (or near) agreement removing him from roster, allowing comeback

Chris Bosh is never going to suit up for the Miami Heat again. A blood clotting issue that sidelined him a couple of seasons back never fully went away and Miami doctors would not clear him last season.

He may never play in the NBA again, but his max contract is an anchor on the Heat’s effort to rebuild. Miami can waive him and apply for an injury hardship to get his salary taken off its cap (Bosh would still get paid, the contract is guaranteed, but it just wouldn’t count against the cap). The concern for Miami was a comeback — under the current NBA rules, if Bosh played 25 games for any other team, his full salary would come back onto their books.

Miami officials and Bosh’s representatives have repaired their relationship, and the two sides — working with the NBA and the players’ union — have an agreement on a deal, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Chris Bosh has told family members that an agreement has been struck among the NBA, the Heat, the union and himself for Bosh to part ways with the Heat at some point in the coming weeks, with the Heat receiving maximum cap relief, an NBA-employed source said in early May and reiterated Tuesday.

There are still details to be worked out so nothing is final, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. He also does a good job explaining the deal.

Under the CBA in place until June 30, a return to the league by Bosh could have reinstated his salary-cap hit to the Heat’s ledger over the remaining term of his contract, which expires after the 2018-19 season. However, under the CBA that goes into place July 1, once a medical panel comes to an agreement that it no longer considered safe for Bosh to continue his career, there no longer is the risk of Bosh’s cap charge or luxury-tax hit returning to the Heat’s book.

The approach with Bosh, 33, from the league and union apparently is a one-time allocation, with Bosh in the midst of a preexisting condition amid the transition to the incoming work rules.

That seems fair. It lets Miami off the financial hook if he does return, and just as importantly for the team, it gives them financial flexibility going into the draft and free agency — if they want to chase Gordon Hayward or Paul Millsap or someone else, they have the room and no fear of a financial bombshell landing on them.

On the other side, it makes it possible for Bosh to return to the NBA if he wishes. And if he can get cleared medically (which may be difficult, but the people around him say is not impossible).

The question for Bosh is how much he wants to come back at this age — it’s not about the money, he’s got a lot of that now. But it takes a lot of work to get back into NBA shape and prepare his aging body for another marathon of an NBA campaign. After time off, hanging out with his young family and pursuing his diverse other interests, does he want another go at the NBA or is he ready to move on? Only Bosh can answer that, and there isn’t a wrong answer.