Does a Boucher, Raptors reunion make sense?

When Chris Boucher opted to sign with the Boston Celtics last offseason, it truly marked the end of an era for the Toronto Raptors.

It was sad to see the last remaining piece from the 2019 championship team and arguably the franchise’s all-time best player off the bench dart for a division rival, but it was understandable.

Boucher didn’t see game action in the final 23 games in his last season with Toronto, and it wasn’t because of poor play. The 33-year-old was Toronto’s leading bench scorer at 10.0 points per game while chipping in 4.5 rebounds, and was having one of his best shooting seasons, converting at 36.3 per cent from three-point range (3.9 attempts) while hitting at a 63.3 per cent clip from inside the arc. Among Raptors regulars, his +4.9 net rating was second.

The team was moving in a different direction then, but the stars could potentially align for the Montreal-raised Boucher to return to Canada after the veteran failed to carve out a role in Beantown.

With the Celtics this season, Boucher played in only nine games overall and in just one contest since Nov. 23 after falling out of Joe Mazzulla’s rotation. The Celtics went and acquired two-time all-star Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls and converted rookie big man Amari Williams’ two-way contract into a standard deal. Those moves left the high-energy Boucher without a spot on the roster, as Boston dealt him to the Utah Jazz before ultimately getting waived.

After the Raptors waived point guard Chris Paul, who then retired, the team now has an open roster spot, and if they’re looking for some front-court depth, who also has familiarity with a Darko Rajakovic system for a playoff push, it could make sense. Especially with Jakob Poeltl’s back being a question mark and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles dealing with ailments himself.

Boucher could be an energetic, springy, end-of-bench big man who can block shots, fit transitionally, and can hit an occasional 3-pointer for one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA. You could do a lot worse, especially for a playoff-bound team with injury questions in the front court.

According to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, at the time, there was mutual interest in the 6-foot-9 power forward returning for an eighth season north of the border before Boucher ultimately walked. A lot has changed since the off-season, but you never know, especially in the NBA.

Money-wise, this move would have to wait, which is the main reason why this potential move, or moves for other buyout options, won’t come to fruition. 

Due to Boucher’s high minimum salary as a veteran with eight years of service time, it wouldn’t be possible for the Raptors to sign the Canadian and stay under the tax for at least two more weeks, with the team having to wait closer to a month for some preferred extra wiggle room.

Is it more likely Bobby Webster and co. cycle through 10-day contract guys and/or convert second-round pick Alijah Martin’s two-way contract? Probably, yeah, but again, you never truly know in the NBA, and weirder things have happened.

It wasn’t that long ago when Boucher was donning a Toronto Raptors uniform and contributing to winning, and for a guy who ranks 12th all-time in games played for Toronto, the vibes would be immaculate.

After going undrafted before turning a Summer League invite into a training-camp tryout, which turned into a two-way contract and finally an NBA deal, at the very least, it would be cool to see Boucher return to the organization that he found his way as a pro seven years ago, as the team looks to return to the playoffs.