JULY 30TH: The deal is finally official, the team announced, after Bosh spent much of the month traveling overseas.
“Chris Bosh is a two-time NBA champion and one of the most versatile big men in the league,” Heat president Pat Riley said. “His unique skillset makes him one of the best players in the game today. I’ve always felt he was committed to this organization, this staff and this city. I think he’s going to have the opportunity of a lifetime leading this team next season and having the nine-time NBA All-Star back in the fold was a big key for us. We are very blessed to have him.”
JULY 11TH: The Heat and Chris Bosh are finalizing an agreement on a five-year deal for the maximum salary, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Rockets believed they would get Bosh to commit to their offer of the maximum, which by rule was only for four years, with lower annual raises, but the Henry Thomas client ultimately spurned Houston to remain with the Heat. The new max deal will include a starting salary of $20,644,400, and total $118,705,300 over the life of the contract.
Bosh and his wife love living Miami, and their affection for South Florida was a strong factor in the decision, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. It’s a major victory for the Heat and team president Pat Riley, who’ll know the team will at least keep one of its three stars after LeBron James bolted for the Cavs. The Lakers and Bosh reportedly had mutual interest, too, but ultimately it came down to a decision between the Rockets and Heat.
Before the Rockets made their push, Bosh seemed like a strong bet to return to Miami, having said publicly that he would return. Still, that seemed to hinge on the return of LeBron, and when he left for Cleveland, Bosh seemed destined to follow the four-time MVP out of Miami.
Instead, the Heat will retain the No. 3 player in the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings. As Charlie Adams of Hoops Rumors wrote when he examined Bosh’s free agent stock, Bosh had plenty of leverage to secure a lucrative payday in a destination of his choice after establishing himself as an athletic force defensively and a versatile scorer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
i think the rockets dodged a bullet .. although i would of loved to see his wife around town she is all kinds of fine.
Wow the Rockets plans are unraveling fast. Wonder who they will target now. I think that would have been a better situation for Bosh. The Heat might be lucky to get out of the first round next year.
Not final per Ramon Shelbroune still deciding between Rockets and Heat. Lin went Lajers to open space up.
GET SOME
overpay imo, bosh is good but not at 23 million a year
Dont know where you’re getting $23 million per…Regardless, have you seen all of the other overpays so far in free agency? The only person that didnt get overpaid so far is probably Spencer Hawes
118 million divide by 5 years is 23.6 million my bad.
where are you getting $118 million?
its all over the web 5 year deal worth 118 million. Google It.
Not sure if I am able to post a link that highlights it since its from a different site
I saw it on the twitter link…w/e. My assumption is that its backloaded, and regardless, he is a max player
I just dont think he is a max player, great player, I just think over 20 million should only be superstars and I don’t consider him a superstar. Obviously we disagree in the end bosh gets his money and miami gets to keep a great player
I think we can all agree the way that salary is set up in the NBA is ridiculous…Based on those standards though, and the fact that you can look at other players with max contracts, Chris Bosh is absolutely a max player
Chris Bosh is easily a max player. He is ridiculously versatile on both ends of the ball. He was arguably our best defender last season, guarding 2-5 and protecting the rim. He even stepped out on the perimeter to guard a few PGs at times, and did a good job….With LeBron gone, he doesnt have to sacrifice touches as much, and he has more space to operate, either in the post like he used to, or driving to the basket. He doesnt have to be a spot up shooter anymore. Obviously he can step out and shoot the 3 now, as he has continued to improve his game…Dont forget the Heat still have a ton of cap space