Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Wade says talk of Bosh to Bulls is news to him
MIAMI — In the wake of ESPN reporting that the Chicago Bulls have interest in sidelined Heat forward Chris Bosh, Bulls guard and Bosh friend Dwyane Wade said Friday that the report was news to him.
Speaking to the Chicago Tribune in advance of the Bulls’ Friday road game against the Atlanta Hawks, Wade said the speculation did not come from him.
“I play with the Bulls and I don’t even know that,” Wade said. “That’s news to me. He’s one of my good friends. The biggest thing with Chris is ... his health. He’s not even playing basketball right now.
“Basketball is something he loves, and I’m sure somewhere in the back of his mind he would love to be able to do again. But I know his steps and that moment is not here now. I can’t even talk about next year.”
Bosh has been sidelined since failing his preseason physical after missing the second half of the past two seasons with blood clots. The Heat can apply to have his contract excised from their salary cap starting Feb. 9, the one-year anniversary of Bosh’s last game played, with Bosh still receiving the full remaining salary on a contract that runs through 2018-19.
The Heat are expected to wait until later in the season to address Bosh’s status, reducing the longshot possibility of Bosh appearing in 25 regular-season or playoff games this season, which would return his hit to the Heat’s salary cap.
Bosh and Wade spent New Year’s Eve together in South Florida, along with several current and former Heat players. Bosh then attended the Bulls’ Jan. 7 game in Chicago along with his wife, spending that night with Wade and Wade’s wife, actress Gabrielle Union.
According to the ESPN report: “If Bosh, who turns 33 in March, makes it back onto the floor next season, word is that the Chicago Bulls are already plotting a run and will be at the front of the line to try to sign him.”
Wade has a player option to return to the Bulls next season, as part of the two-year contract he signed when he left the Heat in free agency in July.
“A lot of the issue with the Heat is at the end of the day he has something serious and they want to make sure it’s not life-threatening and then it goes from there,” Wade told the Tribune. “Things are said and things are done but at the end of the day as I’ve always said about Chris, I know Chris is worried about his health first. He has a family that he loves and he wants to make sure that he’s as healthy and whole as he can be.
“But also he loves the game of basketball so when that day comes there are always going to be stories about guys where they have friends at. Everyone knows he a good friend of mine, so that’s probably where you get some of that. But besides that, he hasn’t told me that.”