As we reported yesterday, Chris Bosh has been diagnosed with blood clots on his lungs and will miss the rest of the season, the Heat announced today.
"Chris is OK and his prognosis is good," the Heat said in a short statement.
Heat associates said he has been fatigued but is starting to feel better and is looking forward to returning next season. Blood-thinner medication to treat the ailment would make it dangerous for him to play this season.
"I will be back soon," Bosh posted on Instagram tonight.
The belief of doctors is that the pain that Bosh was experiencing in his ribs was related to this condition. He also had been feeling tired and some shortness of breath.
But nobody believed there was a serious problem until he checked into a Miami hospital late Thursday. He remains hospitalized as of this afternoon. Dwyane Wade and Erik Spoelstra visited him there this afternoon.
Other athletes have returned from this ailment, including Cleveland's Andersen Varejao in 2013, and tennis star Serena Williams.
Bosh finished the season averaged 21.1 points (13th in the league) and 7.0 rebounds in 44 games. This was the first season of a five-year, $118 million contract.
Udonis Haslem is starting at power forward in Bosh's absence, but the Heat also could decide to play small at times, with Dwyane Wade at small forward, Luol Deng at power forward and Goran Dragic and Mario Chalmers at guard.
The Heat signed veteran swingman Henry (formerly Bill) Walker to a 10-day contract today, giving them 14 players under contract and one open roster spot.
Andray Blatche, Andrei Kirilenko Rashard Lewis and Michael Beasley are among available forwards. Thomas Robinson is of Heat interest after his Nuggets buyout is finalized, RealGM reported. The Heat had not contacted Blatche as of midday Friday and Miami could instead explore adding a "stretch-four," though Blatche can't be ruled out.
The Heat has a $2.65 million disabled player's exception that it will lose if not used by March 10. But the trade deadline passed Thursday.
As a personal aside, here's wishing all the best to Bosh, a gentleman who has always comports himself with decency, kindness and class.
Meanwhile, Goran and Zoran Dragic addressed the media today. Some snippets:
### Asked if he plans to stay longterm with the Heat (he can be a free agent this summer), Goran Dragic said: “I hope so [that] I’m going to stay here. But you never know in the business.”
### Erik Spoelstra said the Heat tried to get Dragic in the past but got “the door slammed” in its face.
### Spoelstra sees the opportunity to thrive with Dragic in the open court and in the halfcourt game.
“We want to play off steals, deflections, off stops,” Spoelstra said. “But he also has shown versatility to play a halfcourt game. You need to play both in the playoffs. He has incredible energy, a real battery that we want to utilize.”
### Goran Dragic, on making his Heat debut tonight without even going through a practice: “It’s going to be a little bit tough. But all the players are professional. They know how to play basketball. Coach will tell me what I need to do. I will try to do my best. I will play with a lot of energy, hustle for every ball.”
### Goran on his goals growing up: “As a kid, you always dream to play in the NBA. Thought process first was to make first division in Slovenia, then some big European club, then to make the NBA.”
Goran said when he was playing overseas, “I was always layups, layups, layups” but realized that wasn’t realistic in the NBA.
### Goran, on his new teammates: “Hassan Whiteside --- Big body, blocks shots, good hands. Can finish under the rim. Big guy who can protect the paint. D-Wade everybody knows he’s one of the best two guards in the league. Really excited to play with him. He likes to play in the open court. I like to do the same thing.”
UM FOOTBALL NUGGETS
### Tyriq McCord, who was a hybrid rush end/linebacker last season, has now moved to strongside linebacker. UM’s first team ends on its current depth chart today were Ufomba Kamalu and Trent Harris. But Al Quadin Muhammad and Chad Thomas will play a lot.
### McCord was listed as a second-team linebacker, behind Darrion Owens, with Raphael Kirby and Jermaine Grace the other first-teamers at linebacker.
### Deon Bush and Dallas Crawford are the first-team safeties, and Tracy Howard and Artie Burns the first-team cornerbacks.
### Al Golden said Kc McDermott and Taylor Gadbois, both potential starters, are still recovering from knee surgery last season. McDermott will return to practice in mid-March, Golden said. Gadbois is out for the spring.
### Sunny Odogwu was listed as the first team left-tackle, ahead of early enrollee Jahair Jones. Right tackle Trevor Darling is also getting work at left tackle.
### Golden expects Rayshawn Jenkins to return at some point this spring from an injury.
### Defensive tackle Calvin Heurteleu will miss spring ball with a knee injury. Anthony Moten and Michael Wyche were listed as the starting tackles, with Courtel Jenkins on the second team.
### UM, which plays both a 4-3 and a 3-4, listed its depth chart as a 4-3, as it did last spring. Golden said nothing should be read into that.
### Gus Edwards was listed as the first team running back, ahead of Joe Yearby. “Both performed really well today,” James Coley said.
### Golden said Trayone Gray “is a different guy” from a year ago. “Now he’s starting to look like a running back.”
### Braxton Berrios is listed as the first-team punt returner, but Golden said six players will be competing for that job.
### James Coley, on Rayshawn Scott, who is back after being sidelined last year with a shoulder/clavicle injury: “When I first got here, I thought he was one of the most talented guys here. Fired up about him.”
Scott, Stacy Coley and Berrios are listed as the first-team receivers. Coley is the first-time kickoff returner.
### Golden said walk-on receiver Garrett Kidd has "retired" from football.
MARLINS CHATTER
The offseason trade to Miami was a surprise for Martin Prado, but also a pleasant one.
Speaking publicly for the first time since being dealt from the Yankees in December, Prado said Saturday he “couldn’t be happier when I found out I was going to play with [Giancarlo] Stanton and [Jose] Fernandez and young kids coming up. Very happy to be here. Couldn’t be more excited. They have a good mix of young guys and veteran guys. I hope we can build a team around [Stanton] and take some pressure [off] him.”
The Marlins believe they upgraded at third by replacing Casey McGehee (a career .264 hitter) with Prado (a career .291 hitter).
“He’s a consummate professional, gives us professional at-bats, above-average defender and we have him for two years,” Marlins president/baseball operations Michael Hill said.
Prado said he’s fine after an offseason appendectomy.
### If the Marlins again keep 12 pitchers, that would leave room for five backup position players. Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Baker and backup catcher Jeff Mathis figure to be three of them, with Donovan Solano, Derek Dietrich, Miguel Rojas, Justin Bour and a bunch of non-roster invitees (including Reed Johnson, Jordany Valdespin and Don Kelly, among others) competing for two others.
All can play multiple positions –- which the Marlins say they value -- except Bour, who said Saturday that “first base is where I belong.” That could hurt Bour’s chances even though he impressed late last season, hitting .284 in 74 at-bats.
### General manager Dan Jennings said the front office has had internal discussions about free agent right-hander Francisco Rodriguez, who had 44 saves for Milwaukee last season. He reportedly wants a two-year, $10 million deal, and the Marlins aren’t inclined to approach those numbers.
If the Marlins make another bullpen move, the preference would be to add a left-hander. They remain interested in former Tigers lefty Phil Coke, but only if he’s willing to be a non-roster invitee to camp.
### The Marlins have been scouting highly-regarded free agent infielder Hector Olivera, whom they see as a third baseman, but it seems doubtful they would make a big offer because of their commitment to Prado. The Dodgers reportedly are the favorite.
### The lines for tickets were longer than the past two mid-February Winter Warmup events (previously known as FanFest). The top-selling games: Opening Day vs. Atlanta April 6 and series against the Yankees and Red Sox. The Marlins already have surpassed last year’s season-ticket sales count of 5000.
### Marlins president Davis Samson said he believes the Marlins will become “an internationally celebrated team” because of their popularity in Latin America and the addition of Japanese star Ichiro, which will result in at least 90 Marlins games airing on Japanese television, compared with one or two in past years.
### Left-hander Brad Hand is out of minor league options and likely would be claimed by another team if the Marlins try to send him to Triple A. Hand, who is 5-18 with a 4.42 ERA in four years for the Marlins (including 31 starts), likely would compete with David Phelps for a rotation spot only if one of the Marlins’ five projected starting pitchers is injured.
"We’re going to prepare Hand to start,” Hill said. “Hopefully we’ll have some tough decisions to make.” Hand said he would “much rather start” but is willing to do either.
### Twitter: @flasportsbuzz
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