With the repeater tax going into effect this summer, few expect the Miami Heat's Big 3 to remain intact after the season. Chris Bosh, not LeBron James or Dwyane Wade, is reportedly the most likely not to return next season.
Unless Heat owner Micky Arison can get creative with the roster, many believe the franchise will be unable to afford Bosh, James and Wade together for another year. While most of the attention is on whether James will opt out to become a free agent this summer, ESPN's Chad Ford believes it will be Bosh who ultimately departs Miami.
"From what I can gather talking to teams and agents around the league, it's Chris Bosh who is the most likely to leave," Ford wrote during a Sports Nation chat on Thursday. "LeBron and Wade are so good, I think we all forget what a force Bosh can be. Lots of teams would give him the max and feature him in ways Miami can't. LeBron might leave, but I think the odds are in Miami's favor."
Miami has only four players on the books for next season - Bosh, Wade, James have player options and Norris Cole has a qualifying offer - and is already at $65.7 million. For perspective, this season's salary cap was set at $58.6 million.
Although Bosh is an All-Star, the presence of James and Wade on the court has largely relegated him to being the third wheel. He's averaging 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season, but his $22 million price tag for next season seemingly makes him expendable.
The most likely scenario is Miami packaging Bosh in a trade this summer. The perception is that Miami wants to make a run at a third straight championship with its core intact, which makes it unlikely Bosh would be dealt before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 20.
