Today, we have more fuel about the situation regarding Miami Heat all-star forward Chris Bosh.

On Monday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported the following regarding Bosh’s future in the NBA:

 “There is a fear within the Heat organization that Bosh’s condition will prevent him from ever being cleared to play by team doctors.”

At his end of the season press conference on Wednesday, Miami Heat president Pat Riley told reporters that “We’re in this together,” regarding the status of Bosh.

Riley on Bosh: "We're in this together." Says he wants to "sidle up along next to Chris Bosh and see where we can go with this."

— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) May 18, 2016

Now today on Friday, we are hearing ESPN’s Dan Le Batard report that the Heat expect Bosh to play for them in 2016-2017 and that Bosh is committed to a return to the team:

What I know of private medical history, which is to say I have partial information because so much of this is private and guarded and protected, I don’t know what’s going to be different in six months about what’s so right now. Bosh is going to think, six months from now, he’s also going to be able to play. And the recurrence of clots is still going to be something that’s problematic and that doctors might not clear him on. And so I’m sitting here looking at this, and everything that was the wrestling match during the postseason about getting Bosh back out there, I think it’s going to exist and then, later on down the road, this is going to get messy where the Heat, I think – now, keep in mind, I’m saying this with partial information – but I think this is going to end up in a place where they’re fighting over whether or not he retires.

I just got a text saying that Bosh should be able to play next season. So, the Heat expect Bosh to be able to play next season.

What I’m telling you is that Bosh is committed to getting back, and the Heat are hopeful that that can be so.

The 31-year-old Bosh was slated to partake in his 11th career NBA all-star game and his first ever three-point contest appearance before he had to withdraw from the NBA all-star weekend festivities due to the blood clots in his calf.

Miami went 19-10 without Bosh in 2015-2016 to end the season after going 15-15 in 2014-2015 after Bosh was ruled out for the season with a blood clot on his lung. The Heat added Joe Johnson for offensive purposes this season without Bosh, and they added Goran Dragic in 2014-2015 for offense without Bosh.

Bosh’s health will be a major storyline for the Heat as they enter another busy off-season with Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Luol Deng, and Hassan Whiteside all being free agents after falling one win short of the Eastern Conference Finals.

“I really think we took a major step forward this year,” Riley said. “When you objectively look at where we were two years ago and where we are today, the possibilities .. the flexibility we created.”

Bosh is still due $75 million over the next three seasons after signing with the Heat on a five-year $118 million extension in the summer of 2014. He averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in 53 games for Miami in 2015-2016.

[twitter-follow screen_name='tony_montalto' show_count='yes']