NBA 2016 Rumors and News: Bosh Coming Home to Toronto Raptors? Two-time Champ May Be Pulling Off a LeBron-esque Comeback
The Miami Heat are ushering in a rebuilding mode and it is high time they do it. The decorated franchise slipped down the standings - no thanks to the departure of LeBron James. It did not help either that Dwyane Wade, the franchise centerpiece for several seasons and was key to Miami's four championships in the last decade, chose to suit up for Chicago next season.
What remains of the former Big 3 in South Beach is veteran power forward Chris Bosh. Together with Wade, he fueled Miami's surge to the playoffs, albeit exiting the post-season early due to blood clots.
Despite the health issues, Bosh is still a two-time champion and a serviceable veteran bigman, so much that he is still drawing interest from teams across the league.
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Homecoming
One such team is the Toronto Raptors, a name very familiar to Bosh. The team drafted him fourth overall in the loaded 2003 NBA Draft, his name on a list that includes former teammates Wade and Lebron James.
He also had some of his best years with the franchise, putting up career-highs of 24 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in 2010. He's led the league in rebounding for a time and earned an All-Star berth in his final season before heading to South Beach.
The forward may be aging and declining health-wise, but rumor has it that the Raptors are still ready to create a blockbuster deal for him. The franchise reportedly put young guns Terrence Ross, Patrick Patterson and Jared Sullinger, whom they got from a trade with Boston just this off-season.
Mutual benefit
If healthy, Bosh can still be a beast at his age. At 32, he posted averages of 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and a career-high 1.5 threes per game before being sidelined. In a league that puts a lot of importance on stretch forwards, he is a legitimate option for a team who almost went to the 2016 NBA Finals.
Speaking of stretch fours, Sullinger could also be a key player for the Heat—that is, if he could improve on his three-point shooting. Starting 73 of 81 games last season for the Celtics, he averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, which is not bad for someone who averaged only 23.6 minutes per game.
Also in the mix for Miami is another streaky-shooting forward in Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross, a young athlete who scored a franchise-record 51 points in 2014. All of the Raptors players here are only in their 20s, providing a young core to the rebuilding Heat.
