Chris Boucher is a pretty standout guy.
You can't ask for much out of a veteran who largely has a chip on his shoulder, yet he can still come out and surprise the fanbase in just about any form of playing capacity.
That random Boucher burst couldn't be any more evident than in his stellar four-game stretch in January, which propelled his name back into relevant Raptors conversations. Add to that, sparking interest around the league as Boucher became a highlight for contenders to keep an eye out on should he be available in trade talks.
The writing couldn't be any more on the wall; it looked as if Boucher's days were numbered in the latter half of 2024. Then, the Raptors showcased him in the right capacity for a worthwhile trade... at least, those were the initially thoughts.
NBA Insider Jake Fischer comes out with the latest buzz across the league at seemingly every turn, with new intel and noteworthy footnotes to emerge as part of Marc Stein's Substack. In the most recent edition, Fischer would discuss Boucher's future in Toronto, with a surprising development that could signal a paradigm shift in his Raptors tenure.
Chris Boucher to remain with the Toronto Raptors after all?
Here's what Fischer would say about Boucher in his "The People's Insider" column, for The Stein Line Substack.
"Word is that the 32-year-old big man with the floor-spacing outside touch — while drawing trade interest from various teams — has interest in a contract extension with the Raptors. It's believed that the Raptors, in a nod to how well Boucher has been playing and the steady contributions he has made to Toronto's culture over the past seven seasons, would thus consider a contract extension that keeps him north of the border."Jake Fischer, January 20, 2025
Gotta give props to Boucher. He's largely been the heart and soul of this Raptors squad, and regardless of whether the chips are down or up, he's a Raptors culture guy at the core. For both the Raptors organization and his career, moving him for assets appears to be the smart business move, but maybe conducting good business means keeping CB around for the long haul.
In previous pieces, the issue of having a crafty veteran arsenal for a rebuild is extremely necessary to a young team's development, and it's clearly worked for the Raptors' fellow Eastern Conference foe, the Detroit Pistons. With that mentality in mind, it's clear as day both No. 25 and the Raptors could work together to just keep him happy where he is.
It's always a bit of an ethical dilemma to figure out selling high on expendable talent; just look at the host of discussions that surrounded Jakob Poeltl this season. Yet, he's likely to stick around in T Dot for the foreseeable future. Poeltl has been viewed to serve a grand purpose—why not Boucher, too?
Then again, it could end up serving as an error in the long term if Boucher's game falls off a cliff and the Raptors aren't able to maximize his value now. Just look at how the narrative around Kelly Olynyk's game for Toronto took a turn this season; thankfully K.O. is still rumored to have a host of suitors around the league.
But alas, that's how basketball business works. You can't always think two steps ahead like that, as if it were a game of chess. Sometimes, it's worth rewarding a model player who's proven to be very critical to team identity.
Like a double-edged sword, there's certainly a fair case to argue both sides of the Boucher debate. Should he stay or should he go? Surely, the plan will unravel in these next few weeks before the trade deadline passes, so it's back to the waiting game once again.