Did Raptors’ Chris Boucher just ball out in front of potential trade suitor?

The Toronto Raptors have likely been taking trade calls centered around big-name starters like Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet, but that doesn’t mean Masai Ujiri won’t deal away a role player if he finds an offer he likes. After signing a three-year contract in the offseason, Chris Boucher might find himself with a new team.

As he has been through most of his career, Boucher was all over the place from a statistical point of view. After getting benched midway through the year, he started to show that he is officially back on track with a tremendous outing against the Sacramento Kings.

Boucher finished with 16 points, 14 of which came in the first half, in just 22 minutes. This is the Boucher Toronto thought they were getting, as he was efficient and energetic all night long. Teams all across the league might be interested in swiping Boucher away after a few nights like that.

One of them could be Sacramento, who is currently third in the Western Conference on the back of one of the league’s best offenses. The Kings could use another bench sparkplug that won’t cost them any of their foundational pieces in a trade, and Boucher might fit that bill.

Will the Toronto Raptors trade Chris Boucher to the Kings?

Boucher is averaging 9.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season, which are remarkably similar to the numbers he put up in his contract season. Yet another “Vision 6-9” signing, Boucher’s style of play often clashes with a Raptors team that lacks tremendous shooting.

Monte McNair has made sure that Sacramento has more than enough shooting, but do they have enough frontcourt difference-makers outside of presumed All-Star Domantas Sabonis? Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu don’t look like second-unit players who can help the Kings win a playoff series.

Sacramento has plenty of surplus assets lying around to flip Toronto’s way, including some protected first-round selections and some young role players. Perhaps someone like Davion Mitchell can be acquired with Boucher as the centerpiece of the deal? The Kings need rebounding and defensive energy, and Boucher offers those two traits in spades.

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Sacramento has something very promising brewing, but they need one or two more pieces to really stand out in a Western Conference that is as wide open as ever before. Boucher might be getting back on track, and his blend of veteran moxie and electricity might help the Kings more than the retooling Raptors.