Celtics fans are ready to celebrate ex-Raptors bench hero as their own

As one team bids farewell to its treasured all-time bench great in the Toronto Raptors, the latest franchise to embrace the next chapter of his career has officially welcomed him with open arms. The Boston Celtics have verified the Chris Boucher signing, and with it, Celtics fans can now look forward to witnessing the Boucher Barrage for themselves.

Celtics fans gear up for the newest addition ... Chris Boucher

I just highlighted how impactful Boucher became for the Raptors, gradually establishing himself as the franchise’s most accomplished bench player over an eight-season span. But when one door closes, another one opens. While Boucher may be aging, I’m still confident he can deliver a valuable spark, whether as a starter or coming off the bench, especially for this somewhat uncertain Celtics team heading into the 2025-26 season.

ESPN's Sham Charania initially reported that Boucher signed a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Boston Celtics, but the team's official press release stated: "Per team policies, terms of the deal were not disclosed."

Also, in the Celtics press release, it would be helpful to highlight a key connection between Boucher and one of his new teammates — specifically, a friendly face from his past.

"A St. Lucia native, Boucher was college teammates with Celtics guard Payton Pritchard for one season (2016-17) at Oregon. In two seasons (2015-17) as a Duck, Boucher averaged 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in 69 games (47 starts). He was named to the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Pac 12 All-Defense Teams after leading the conference in blocks per game in both seasons (2.9, 2.5)."

via "Celtics Sign Chris Boucher," Aug 10

Boucher will be suiting up alongside his collegiate brethren Payton Pritchard, who has emerged in recent years as one of the Celtics' key contributors (recently awarded 6MOTY) and secret weapons off the bench. Now with Boucher in the mix too, whether he's destined for a starting role or continuing to be a pivotal bench piece, it certainly helps that he already has chemistry with Pritchard. We’ll just have to see if that synergy from years past can translate to this level.

With the new fanbase eagerly watching Boucher's next moves, it's clear that Celtics Nation is excited to see what the 'Slimm Duck' can bring to their team, as reflected in the comments under this X thread:

The Celtics have landed a gamer (both figuratively and literally, if you know Boucher's gaming habits), and it's great to see the fanbase embracing him so well.