Hoops Rumors indicated that the Heat will not be able to provide the 26-year-old Whiteside the maximum salary that he is expected to command from other teams if the team lands superstar forward Durant, who will surely be the main priority of Miami’s finances if ever.
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Coach Erik Spoelstra wasn’t willing to begin discussing next year on Sunday as the Heat ended the season in defeat at Toronto, one game shy of a meeting with former mate LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Heat have now had two seasons derailed by Bosh’s medical condition. Bosh and the Heat have been at odds for weeks over how to proceed with his current status, which prompted the NBA Players’ Association to get involved earlier this month.
The Heat are dealing with the very real possibility that Chris Bosh will never be medically cleared to play basketball again, and the situation will force the team to make some hard decisions this summer, according to a report by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
The report added that 11-time All-star even attempted to return during this year’s playoffs, which caused a friction between him and the Heat management.
He has three years, $74.7 million remaining on his contract. It’s the second consecutive season that Bosh has sat out extended time due to this scary health concern.
Miami missed the playoffs and finished 37-45 last season after losing Bosh.
LA badly needs a consistent inside presence in their lineup, both on the offensive and defensive ends, which makes Whiteside one of their top targets this offseason, according to Lakers Nation.
Despite the controversy, the Heat and Bosh share a mutual interest for him to be able to return, but his uncertain medical condition is also affecting the team’s ability to plan for the future. “When you have somebody you love and care about so much, going through something you can’t control, you really feel for him”. Some of that may depend on whether Riley strikes gold, silver or bronze in free agency. Miami will enter the July 1 free-agency period with at least $40 million to address the roster. Will they look to reward his previous loyalty with a nice deal to finish his career and ride off into the sunset?
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Said Spoelstra: “It’s the second day right now”. We’ve put together teams with all different circumstances for 21 seasons.
