NBA News: Chris Bosh May Not Be Returning Anytime Soon to Miami Heat Starting Five

Long-time NBA elite big man Chris Bosh will continue to carry the torch for the Miami Heat this season as former captain and teammate Dwayne Wade has already left to play for his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. This leaves Bosh with the role of veteran leader for the Heat, but looking ahead to the 2016-2017 season, he might not be able to start the campaign right away.

Ever since LeBron James's departure from Miami, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade had to make up for the bulk of the Heat's all around game, with the addition of point guard Goran Dragić and center Hassan Whitesede helped keep things in Miami afloat. While the team had some success in the 2015-2016 season, Bosh played a minor role for the Heat while sitting on the bench due to a serious injury that has frequently sidelined him for the past 2 seasons.

Bosh has been diagnosed with blood clots that started from his legs and has crept up to his lungs, and since the 2016 All-Star weekend, where Bosh was once again selected as an All-Star but did not play, his injury became worse. According to Fox Sports, Bosh and the Heat have created a rift between their two camps, due to Bosh wanting to play and the Heat believing that he is still not physically fit for the game.

With the 2016-2017 only months away, Miami is still in the process of rebuilding their squad, with Wade long gone, a report from Sportsrageous suggests that the Miami Heat may push for Chris Bosh's early retirement. With Bosh out of the picture, the Heat organization will have more money to spend on recruiting new players and provide a new system around Goran Dragić and Hassan Whiteside. Bosh still has 3 years left on his 5-year $118 million which he signed in 2014, and if he ultimately decides to retire, it would clear up some much-needed cap space.

The Miami Heat will begin the 2016-2017 season against the Orlando Magic on October 26, with or without Chris Bosh in the starting lineup.