Chris Bosh increasing basketball workload in hopes of returning

The Miami Heat have been hesitant to provide a timetable for Chris Bosh’s return, but the star power forward took to Snapchat to let the world know he’s still working toward his comeback.

With the loss of Dwyane Wade in free agency and the loss of Chris Bosh for the second year in a row due to blood clots in his lungs, the Miami Heat are this close to Hassan Whiteside being their franchise player by default.

Luckily for fans of Heat Nation, that may not have to be the case.

The Heat have refrained giving any sort of timetable for Bosh’s possible return, but the 11-time All-Star took to his Snapchat account Monday to let the world know he’s still working toward his comeback.

“I know I’ve been gone for a moment, but now I’m back,” he said in one of the videos. “Everybody is always asking me if I’m hooping. Yes, I’m hooping. Absolutely. I’m a hooper.”

ESPN’s Michael Wallace reports that Bosh expects to be medically cleared by the Heat for the start of training camp on Sept. 27.

Bosh also shared footage of him working out and doing basketball drills. His wife, Adrienne, posted the video on her Instagram account, saying that her husband has been “working day in and day out” for over a month.

https://twitter.com/chrisbosh/status/770379580028755968

According to the Miami Herald, a spokesman for the Heat had no update on when Bosh’s return might be. Miami has consistently been hesitant to set a timetable, but has also denied any possibility that the team is trying to hold him out and clear his salary off the books.

Last season, Bosh averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from three-point range. But he was limited to 53 games when his blood clot issue reared its ugly head again.

That health concern ended his 2014-15 season as well, with Bosh missing 38 games in all. The 32-year-old power forward has not played in an NBA game since Feb. 9.

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Bosh has three years and $76 million remaining on his contract. He holds career averages of 19.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, and if the Heat want to be a playoff-competitive team again in 2016-17, they’ll certainly be hoping he’s cleared to play for training camp.