I will always respect Chris Boucher for what he gave to the Toronto Raptors. He was never the most pretty or polished guy to watch suit up on an NBA court, but Boucher's hustle and grit had to earn your respect somehow (at least during some point in his iconic Raptors tenure). For some, news of his departure from Toronto this past offseason was a sobering reminder that the final chapter of Raptors history had come to an end.
Aside from a short-stint in Golden State as a rookie, Boucher had spent nearly his entire NBA career with the Toronto Raptors. It took a bit of time before Boucher found a new NBA home, but ultimately in August, news broke that he signed a one-year, veteran's minimum deal with the Boston Celtics. Upon hearing this, I thought there was valid reason to predict that Boucher would find an ample role in Boston, seeing as they were largely depleted at the forward and center spots (in light of Jayson Tatum's absence and losing Luke Kornet and Al Horford).
Many of the Celtics' other options consisted of inexperienced, unproven young players like Josh Minott, Luka Garza, and Jordan Walsh. While I believed those players could also develop and break out this year, Boucher offered the struggling Celtics a championship-tested, energetic forward with valuable experience. Unfortunately for Chris Boucher, things haven't been looking so hot with the Boston Celtics in his 2025-26 sample thus far.
New team, new challenges for Chris Boucher
Despite my prediction that he could earn the starting nod at the four spot, Boucher has proven to be Boston's third-string power forward option, behind Josh Minott and Jordan Walsh. He has only appeared in a total of eight games at the time of writing, where he's averaging 2.3 points on 31.8 percent from the field, just 8.3 percent from three, and 2.2 rebounds. Now to be fair, it's hard to leave any sort of relevant NBA mark (at least on-paper) when you're averaging just 11.4 minutes a night, and more often than not, the final sheets largely read DNP for Boucher.
Additionally, although Boucher shared some thoughts on social media about his limited playing time in recent years and his decreasing role, I never really viewed the 32-year-old veteran as someone likely to make a real fuss over such issues. He always appeared to handle any role with ease, and from a career standpoint — especially for someone aiming to secure his next contract or convincingly demonstrate that he has many NBA years ahead — these developments in Boston are certainly not ideal.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla recently addressed Boucher's role after he played 14 minutes against the Magic on November 23 (per @JustinmTurpin on X):
"He has an understanding that he can play on any given night. Has an understanding that when he’s in there, it’s his job to impact winning … It’s always hard for a guy who hasn’t played in a lot of games to go in and have to execute at game speed, and I thought he did that for us. It’s a credit to him, especially given how long he’s been in the league."Joe Mazzulla
Maybe I overestimated Boucher's stats and role in Boston. Although his numbers might not stand out as I initially expected, Joe Mazzulla emphasized that Boucher's "job is to impact winning," which is undoubtedly an important intangible that isn't always reflected on paper. Whether he plays fewer than 10 minutes per game or is fortunate enough to see 15 to 20 minutes or more, Boucher is at least valued as a guy always ready to step in and contribute in some capacity.