Four Reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers Should Pursue Chris Bosh in 2017

The ongoing Chris Bosh saga in Miami has been marred with conflicting reports, disappointment and its fair share of ugliness. After missing the latter half of the last two seasons due to the emergence of blood clots, it had seemed Bosh was finally ready to make his triumphant return to the court for the 2016-17 season.

Unfortunately, the Miami Heat declared last month that Bosh had failed his physical and then ultimately announced that his career with the team was over.

Since then, Bosh has remained adamant that he will have another chance to play in the NBA, claiming that “there are 29 other teams” in the league and that he’s confident one of them will give him a shot. However, reports came out early last week saying that the Heat would not release Bosh until March 1, making him ineligible for the playoffs this season.

By waiting until March to release the accomplished power forward, the Heat ensure that Bosh cannot play 25 games or more this season, which is important for their salary cap situation. That’s because if he plays 25 games or more with another team after the Heat release him, Bosh’s salary would go back on the books for the Heat.

Essentially, Bosh believes there is still a strong chance another team could medically clear him in the future. Granted, teams may not find it worthwhile to sign him this season — due to the fact that he wouldn’t be available for the playoffs — you can bet a handful of teams will be interested in meeting with the two-time NBA champion in the 2017 offseason.

If Bosh can be medically cleared by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017, the team should seriously consider signing the big man to a deal and here are four legitimate reasons why.

1. Established Chemistry

LeBron James played with his good buddy Bosh for four years in Miami, ultimately reaching the NBA Finals in each of those years and coming away with two championship rings. Though it’s no secret James eventually decided to leave his “Big Three” brother behind to bring a championship back to Cleveland, the two performed well on the court together and “The King” still has plenty of love left for Bosh.

“I stand behind my brother Chris. The most important thing is his health,” James recently told the media. “Whatever decision he wants to do, I’m all for it. I support him in every way, shape and facet. It’s a difficult situation for him. I was pretty surprised to hear that the team was just done with him, for them to come out and say that. But it’s not like I’ve been there. I’ve only seen it from the exterior. I wish the best for him, he has my support.”

And it seems Bosh has a great deal of respect and admiration for James too.

James had the best Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in the Eastern Conference each of the four years he played alongside Bosh, while Bosh himself finished each of the four seasons in the top 20 in PER (in the East). The love and admiration these guys have for each other will go a long way in an NBA locker room, so add some top-notch on-court chemistry and you’ve got a match made in heaven.

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