Miami Heat waive Chris Bosh after ongoing problems with blood clots, plan to retire his number
The move was not unexpected - after playing for two seasons combatting ongoing complications with blood clots, the 11-time All-Star failed his physical going into the most recent NBA campaign and was ruled ineligible to play by league doctors.
By waiving Bosh, the Heat free up $52.1 million in cap space over the next two seasons, but even though Bosh won't be suiting up for the Heat, he'll still be getting paid the money he's owed. The cash will come from the Heat, but thankfully for the franchise much of it will be covered by insurance.
A nice bit of severance pay is not the only parting gift Bosh will receive from the Heat - in a statement president Pat Riley announced that Miami will be retiring Bosh's number, saying "He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players in the history of the franchise. The number '1' will never be worn by another player and we can't wait to someday hang his jersey in the rafters."
Additionally, the other two pillars of the Miami triumvirate took to Twitter to wish Bosh well and congratulate him on the honor.
Bosh joined the Heat in 2010 when he helped to form the one of the first iconic "superteams" in the league along with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Together, the trio made four consecutive runs to the NBA Finals and brought two titles home to Miami.
With the deal done, Bosh will become a free agent and would technically be able to sign with another team in the league, but would need clearance from league doctors in order to do so. But with two rings, a retired jersey, and an already busy life off the court, it's much more likely we've seen the last of Bosh's time in the league.