Chris Boucher has been a dependable player for the Toronto Raptors for many years, but it looks like his tenure with
the team is coming to an end.
The 31-year-old native of Montreal has been the Toronto Raptors’ energy reserve for the greater part of six seasons.
No, Boucher has never been a very well-rounded player and has made more mistakes than he should have over the
years, but he has always had a lot of enthusiasm.
For this reason, late in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night, Raptors supporters started screaming, “We want
Boucher,” in the hopes that head coach Darko Rajaković would insert the 6-foot-9 Canadian for a few garbage time
minutes.
However, those admirers were let down.
It seems like Boucher’s time with the Raptors is drawing to an end. Since the start of the season, he has been in and
out of the rotation, and it is obvious that the club no longer values him.
Given that Boucher is no longer a member of Toronto’s youthful core, some of it makes sense. Given that the team is
rebuilding this season and he is the third oldest player, Toronto would prefer to give younger guys more playing
time.
As time goes on, it becomes evident that Boucher and the organization are at odds as well. Although he hasn’t played
frequently in more than a month, Boucher seems to be aware of his situation. He doesn’t seem to be as engaged as he
once was, and his previous zeal seems to have vanished.
So why not make a change?
If it had been possible, the Raptors would have. Toronto was obviously interested in moving Boucher before the
trade deadline, but other teams weren’t exactly rushing up to make a deal given that he still owed them $10.8 million
for the upcoming season.
Take Dennis Schröder, for example, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets during the trade deadline. With a $13
million deal for the upcoming season, Toronto did not receive anything in exchange for their former starting point
guard. Boucher’s significantly less expensive agreement made him even less valuable.
Boucher’s tenure is probably coming to an end in the upcoming few months. When his deal becomes less onerous in
the offseason, Toronto will either find a buyer for him or waive him.
Boucher’s run in Toronto, during which he scored 2,727 points—the most by a Raptor off the bench—will
unfortunately come to an end. However, it’s best for the organization if everyone goes their separate ways as it flips
the page.
