I honestly thought that Chris Boucher was going to stick around as a Raptors-lifer, akin to what Udonis Haslem became for the Miami Heat. Sure, he didn't begin his NBA career with the Raps, winning a title with the Golden State Warriors back in the 2017-18 season, but Boucher quickly found his comfortable footing with his home country Toronto Raptors franchise.
The Toronto Raptors officially acknowledged Boucher's departure from the franchise with fitting social media tribute posts after he signed a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics last week. Boucher leaving the team is a bittersweet development — it's sad because he's been with Toronto for a while, but it's also significant since CB was the last remaining player from the 2019 Raptors championship squad.
With his departure, the Raptors are now officially entering a new era, marking the end of a historic chapter.
Chris Boucher’s impact leaves a lasting mark on the Raptors franchise
Love forever, Boucher ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yKktZFeHQG
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 11, 2025
Boasting back-to-back titles in his first two NBA seasons, it wasn't until after the Raptors won their chip that Boucher truly broke out as a pivotal piece for Toronto off the bench. As the team navigated the post-Kawhi era, the depth that Boucher provided proved to be a balance of hustle, grit, and offensive spark. His solid 2020-21 coming-out season was not just a stroke of luck; Boucher quickly cemented his place in Raptors' history as one of the most prolific bench players in franchise history.
In fact, Chris Boucher is the Raptors' all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, and games played off the bench. Boucher recorded a total of 407 appearances with the Raps across eight seasons, averaging 8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 17.7 minutes per game, with a collective field goal shooting percentage of 48.8% in that span. Overall, Boucher's total points off the bench for the Raptors franchise stands at 3,256, eclipsing the next two in the all-time bench pecking order — Terrence Ross (1,925) and Patrick Patterson (1,918) — by a wide margin.
It will take a very talented player to emerge in the years to follow who can come anywhere close to that top spot Boucher will likely hold for a long time. This revived Bench Mob 2.0 spirit is definitely taking shape, with guys like Jamal Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Collin Murray-Boyles, and others set to cause a defensive raucous as the primary second unit.
However, no one in particular stands out as the offensive guy to surpass Boucher anytime soon. I'd argue that maybe Walter has the best chance, given the scoring upside he could provide down the line, but he's still some ways off from reaching that level. Even so, I think Walter could become a Norman Powell-like piece for the Raps, eventually earning a starting role in the future.
So, with that in mind, I believe Chris Boucher has done more than enough to maintain a stronghold in the Raptors' history books, and now I'm sure Raptors Nation wishes him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.