Getty Chris Boucher, Boston Celtics
As the rumor mill continues to churn, the Boston Celtics are being linked with a very specific type of player: wings and forwards who can shoot the ball.
We’ve often heard both Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka speak of adding shooting with size, and it seems that this summer, there is a plethora of players who fit the bill that could be obtained for reasonable returns.
One of those players is Chris Boucher, who according to Keith Smith of CelticsBlog, could be a potential free-agent target with the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Top 10 Celtics Taxpayer MLE Targets, per @KeithSmithNBA
1. TJ Warren
2. Bruce Brown Jr.
3. Nicolas Batam
4. Gary Harris
5. Kyle Anderson
6. Otto Porter Jr.
7. Caleb Martin
8. Cody Martin
9. Chris Boucher
10. Isaiah Hartenstein
“Boucher might fetch more than the Taxpayer MLE, but it’s possible that would be an overpay. For Boston, he’d kind of fit in that sweet spot at the Taxpayer MLE. This is a bit of an upside play. It’s not that Boucher is young, but you’re betting that he gets back to being the guy who finished everything around the rim while shooting 38% from three and blocking shots on the other end in 2020-21. If enough teams see Boucher as the guy who fell off in all areas last season, then he might be gettable at Boston’s MLE,” Smith wrote on June 27.
Boucher is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and as such, is free to discuss terms with any interested team that he believes could be a good fit for his skill set, as he looks to continue growing his reputation.
Boucher Still Has More to Offer
This past season, Boucher participated in 80 games for the Toronto Raptors, starting nine of them. During those games, the five-year veteran posted 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game, while shooting 29.7% from deep and 46.4% from the field.
Three-point shooting is Boucher’s biggest swing factor, as this past year was the worst perimeter shooting season of his career, dragging his five-year average down to 33.5% as a result. However, the six-foot-nine big man is also a solid rebounder and has proven capable of pressuring the rim when rolling off the pick-and-roll.
Chris Boucher hits a dagger and bumps into the OKC coach 😅
Boston doesn’t need Boucher to be an All-Star, instead, they just require him to be a consistent force off the bench, hitting his open shots, making life difficult for opposing offenses around the rim, and spacing the floor for the likes of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Is Boucher the Biggest Risk?
When you look at the other big men that could be attainable this off-season, it’s fair to believe that Boucher is the biggest upside swing of the bunch. Guys like JaVale McGee and Mason Plumlee are far more consistent in their production and could be a reliable presence off the bench.
However, Boucher has been part of two championship teams, first with the Golden State Warriors and then with the Toronto Raptors, and when he’s playing his best basketball, there are few backup bigs better than him. The question is, can Ime Udoka find a situation to get the best version of Boucher on a consistent basis.
Chris Boucher beats the 2Q buzzer 🔥
Luckily, those questions are for the scouting department and front office, and we don’t have to worry ourselves with those details. But, if Boucher does rediscover his best form, he could be an incredibly valuable pick-up for the Celtics as they look to rebuild their bench after falling a couple of games short in the NBA Finals last season.