The Raptors hold on the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference is a tenuous one at best. The Chicago Bulls are breathing down our necks and despite owning the tie-breaker, the Raps are only a 1/2 game up on the Bulls and have learned that Chris Bosh, their franchise player, has been lost for the rest of the regular season.

The Raptors have Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and New York left on the schedule, with the all important match-up being this Sundays match-up against the Bulls.

The Bulls on the other hand have a tougher test with the Cavs tonight, followed by the Nets tomorrow, us on Sunday, and they finish the season facing two playoff teams in the Celtics and Bobcats.  Lets just hope Charlotte and Boston do not decide to rest their starters.

Ok, so I have been one who was always pessimistic about Bosh staying with the Raps, but him going down with injury as we are fighting for our playoffs lives is not how anyone expected it to end. Even Bosh.

The way the season may end, may actually work in our favor, as Bosh realizes he has unfinished business in Toronto.   Bosh has also said numerously that he thinks he can be ‘the man’, and going to Miami or Chicago would not afford him that opportunity as they have Dwayne Wade and Derrick Rose respectively.

The future of the Raptors without Bosh will be an ugly one, so lets not contemplate that yet.

The fact of the matter is, taxes notwithstanding, Chris Bosh can get the most money from the Toronto Raptors, so it is likely he will either resign with us, or use us to facilitate a sign-and-trade.

Most Raptor fans are hoping for Chris Bosh to resign and lock up with the Raptors. However, there is still the small faction of fans who do not feel Chris Bosh is a max-contract player, especially considering you have to give Bosh the same amount of money you would give the best young player in the league, LeBron James; looked at in that perspective, no Bosh is not a max-level player.  But when you look at the fact that he is a top-10 player in the NBA, you understand that you have to give him max money even if he is not worth, or does not hold the same value as LeBron James.

I am not much for the sign-and-trade option except as a last resort where Bosh has told Raptors brass that he is moving on.

Chris Bosh is definitely someone we would like to stick around here at Raptors Digest, but we are not sure the feeling is mutual.

So what do you think Raptor fans? Are we worrying about nothing? Or is franchise forward Chris Bosh set to bolt this summer?