Heat team president Pat Riley is aware forward Chris Bosh wants to return this coming season.
That’s about the only thing Riley knows about Bosh’s health situation. On Saturday, Riley said the Heat won’t be able to truly evaluate Bosh until late August or September. Bosh has been sidelined because of blood clots since mid-February.
“It’s always fluid,” Riley said, speaking at the AmericanAirlines Arena. “It has been since there was a diagnosis and a decision for him not to play for the rest of the season. What the standard of care is in the situation is what drove us to make that decision. It’s a positive environment right now with Chris and I think his doctors, our doctors are constantly – I think constantly – more so more than ever communicating. I know what Chris wants. I know he wants to play. Obviously we would be open to that. But this is still a very fluid situations. On this day today, the 16th, there’s not an answer. I wish I could give you one. Let’s just let this process move on down the road and go from there.”
There have been questions on whether Bosh would return or retire after being diagnosed with blood clots for a second consecutive season. In 2014-15, he missed the second half of the season after clots developed on his lungs.
Riley said the team will know more in the coming months, especially when Bosh begins workouts.
“I can’t speak medically about this thing,” Riley said. “I can only speak from a basketball standpoint, and that he’s been working out, and that he’s going to probably continue to work out. And so from a basketball standpoint, is it complicated? It’s only complicated based on the information that we would get back from our doctors, if there’s ever a moment of truth when it comes to yes and no.”
The positive is Bosh has shown signs of improvement. Other than occasional social-media posts, he hasn’t spoken publicly about his condition in the past five months
“He wants to play, and we’re open to helping him get there,” Riley said.
“That’s all I can say. It’s a sensitive, complicated situation that I can’t really speak to medically. From a basketball standpoint, I’ve been told we’re sort of put on hold here. We know what Chris is capable of, and the last two years, losing him after the All-Star break both years in a row, you just never know what you have or what you could have done, from that standpoint, as a team.”
If Bosh does play this season, Riley said the team might possibly monitor his playing time and also consider limiting his travel.
“I think all those things will come in to play and there’ll be a discussion,” Riley said.
“There are many players in different sports that do play with that condition, and they’re on and off programmes on blood thinners and stuff. But I think when it comes down to a final protocol, or if it gets to a formula in how this has to be done, then that’s what we’ll deal with.”