Popular Raptor Chris Boucher talks free agency, charitable work, inspiring life story
Article content
You could make a movie about Chris Boucher's life story.
Article content
Forget Rudy, Boucher didn't even play organized basketball until he was 19 years old and has gone on to become a veteran of over 400 NBA games, all but one with the Toronto Raptors.
Article content
Earlier, he was at times homeless, not in school and unsure of where the future would take him.
Article content
To live his basketball dream, Boucher had to leave Montreal — where he and his family settled after immigrating from Saint Lucia when he was five years old — and attend multiple schools in the U.S. in places quite foreign to him.
Article content
Article content
He had to overcome an injury that derailed a potential NCAA championship season at Oregon and kept him from being drafted, and then had to fight tooth and nail to earn a spot with the Raptors in 2018, seizing storybook moments in Las Vegas at NBA Summer League and then, poetically, in an exhibition game in Montreal to make the team.
Article content
Boucher, the longest-tenured Raptor, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and, though not impossible, it seems highly unlikely he'll get a chance to chase down the 11 Raptors who have played more games than him for the franchise over the years (largely owing to Toronto's luxury tax concerns).
Article content
Speaking to Postmedia this week, Boucher seemed at ease with whatever the future holds and justifiably proud of his time with the Raptors.
Article content
'I watch the NBA, I watch the playoffs and I see that there's a lot of need for players like (himself),' he said this week while heading to a charitable event in Scarborough. 'As a free agent now, the only thing to do is you take this summer, you work on the little things that you want to get better in and obviously you wait for the draft, you wait for the playoffs and then the conversations will get started.
Article content
'I can be satisfied with what I did this season (he called it one of his best) and for whatever comes after, the conversations will be happening and I'll have a better idea of what the future is going to look like.'
Article content
Article content
It was a complicated season for Boucher and a Raptors franchise that had two goals for 2024-25, neither of them compatible with where the 32-year-old big man was at this point of his career: Develop the many young players on the roster and lose enough games to have a shot at a top pick in May's draft lottery.
Article content
That left Boucher out of the mix for the final 23 games of the season. As team president Masai Ujiri later explained while lauding Boucher for his professionalism, the team knew what it had in Boucher, but needed to find out about the likes of Jonathan Mogbo and Jamison Battle.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bulls take 18-year-old Essengue at No. 12. Their Central rivals select older players in 2nd round
An uneventful NBA draft for the Central Division likely didn't do much to change its balance of power for the immediate future. The only Central Division team with a first-round pick was the Chicago Bulls, who bet on Noa Essengue's long-term upside by using the No. 12 overall pick on the 18-year-old French forward. A few of their Central rivals then added more experienced college players in Thursday's second round. Indiana added a pair of 23-year-old guards, as they acquired the No. 38 pick from San Antonio to take Marquette's Kam Jones and then chose Liberty's Taelon Peter at No. 54. Detroit also added a 23-year-old guard by selecting Tennessee's Chaz Lanier at No. 37. With the first of its two second-round picks, Cleveland took 21-year-old Duke guard Tyrese Proctor at No. 49. Those older guards represented a contrast from the big swing Chicago took on a teenager. Essengue is the second-youngest player in this draft class and only three days older than No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the former Duke star who went first overall to Dallas. The 6-foot-9 Essengue has played professionally in Germany the last two years. 'I think I can do pretty much everything, all the little details like shooting, passing the ball, attacking the rim,' Essengue said. 'That's my biggest strength right now, is the open-court game.' Essengue has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, but he left his team as it competed in the German league finals to be in New York for the draft. 'We talked a lot with my coaching staff, all the staff from Ulm,' Essengue said. '(I said), 'If I go to the green room, I'm leaving. The coach said, 'Yes, go to see your dream.' So yeah, the day I (found out) I'm in the green room, Coach said, 'Just go there and live your dream, and we're gonna finish the job.' ' Essengue's youth means that this pick might not pay immediate dividends for the Bulls, who have just one playoff appearance in the five seasons since Arturas Karnisovas was hired as executive vice president of basketball operations. 'I see him as a two-way player who can impact the game both offensively and defensively,' Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said. 'His ability to get to the free-throw line and play downhill is super intriguing to us. I think he'll be able to be a versatile wing defender.' Chicago Bulls Needs: The Bulls were seeking frontcourt help, particularly at center with veteran Nikola Vucevic entering the final season of a three-year, $60 million deal. Who they drafted: They took Essengue at No. 12 overall. In the second round, they acquired the No. 55 pick from the Los Angeles Lakers and selected 6-9 forward Lachlan Olbrich, a 20-year-old from Australia. NBA comparison for Essengue: His ball-handling skills and ability to finish and defend have drawn comparisons to Pascal Siakam and Nicolas Batum. But he will need to improve his shooting. Essengue turns 19 in December. Detroit Pistons Needs: The Pistons could use some size and outside shooting. They lacked frontcourt muscle when burly forward Isaiah Stewart missed much of the first-round playoff matchup with the New York Knicks. Detroit also needed to make more 3-pointers in the closely contested series. The three-time championship franchise finally has a star to build around in All-NBA third team guard Cade Cunningham. Now, it needs time to determine if former first-round picks Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland can help Cunningham on the perimeter. Who they drafted: They used the No. 37 overall pick on Lanier, a 6-4 guard who averaged 18 points his lone year at Tennessee after spending four seasons at North Florida. Indiana Pacers Needs: With centers Myles Turner, Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Jackson all potentially hitting free agency, Indiana's most glaring hole is frontcourt depth. Indiana would like to re-sign Turner, a deal that could send the Pacers into the first salary cap apron. Finding an experienced big man would be ideal. Even after losing Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles tendon, Indiana still has plenty of backcourt bodies. Who they drafted: Indiana obtained the No. 38 overall pick in a trade with San Antonio and used it on Kam Jones, a 6-3 guard who earned Associated Press All-America second-team honors at Marquette. They used the No. 54 pick on Peter, who had 13.7 points per game at Liberty this year after previously playing for Tennessee Tech and Arkansas Tech. Milwaukee Bucks Needs: Damian Lillard's torn Achilles, Gary Trent Jr.'s unrestricted free agency and Kevin Porter's potential free agency (he has a $2.5 million player option) creates plenty of backcourt questions. The Bucks also could use a young big man. Brook Lopez and Jericho Sims are unrestricted free agents, and Bobby Portis could join them if he doesn't pick up his $13.4 million option Who they drafted: In the second round, the Bucks used the 47th overall pick on Bogoljub Markovic, a 6-11 forward from Serbia. Markovic turns 20 on July 12. Cleveland Cavaliers Needs: Cleveland doesn't have many roster holes, but it does have a need for a big body in the middle to add depth. The Cavaliers have Jarrett Allen and NBA defensive player of the year Evan Mobley, but not much else when it comes to someone with size and who can be physical in the paint. That need was apparent during their second-round playoff loss to Indiana. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Who they drafted: The Cavs used the 49th overall pick on Proctor. They also had the No. 58 selection and took Saliou Niang, a guard from Senegal. Proctor is a good playmaker and shot 40.1% on 3-pointers last season. He could fill a need if the Cavs are unable to re-sign Ty Jerome or Sam Merrill, who are unrestricted free agents. The 21-year old Niang is a good defender but needs work on his jumper. He is expected to be with Virtus Bologna in the Euroleague next season. ___ AP sports writers Larry Lage, Michael Marot, Joseph Reedy and Andrew Seligman contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:
Edmonton Journal
4 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Raptors draft undersized, high-flying defensive standout in second round
Article content Martin is a high-flying but undersized guard who stands out as an excellent defender, one of the best perimeter defenders in the SEC. Martin has extensive big-game experience, having reached the NCAA Tournament semifinal in 2023 (he scored 26 points in a one-point loss to San Diego State), before winning it all for Florida this past season in the thrilling Gators win over Houston. Toronto also opted for a defence-first, hard-nosed SEC player a day earlier, taking South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles ninth in the first round of the draft. Team executives had said this week they looked closely at the NBA playoffs this year and how hard players on the last teams standing played and how they mostly excelled defensively. The question that kept coming up was could the guys the Raptors liked one day fit in in similar situations. They felt Murray-Boyles definitely could and while Martin is more of a role of the dice as players taken toward the middle of the second round often don't even make the NBA, he never takes a second off when he's on the court, similar to Jamal Shead, Toronto's pick at 45 last year. Draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic described Martin as 'Small by NBA standards, but makes up for it with power and athleticism. There may not be a better pound-for-pound athlete in the 2025 draft.'
National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
Raptors draft undersized, high-flying defensive standout in second round
The Toronto Raptors certainly have a type. Small, extremely athletic and a give-no-quarter, lock-you-down defender, come on down. Article content The latest example came in Thursday's second round of the 2025 NBA draft. Article content Article content The Raptors went for explosive athleticism with the 39th pick, opting for Alijah Martin, a five-year guard out of Florida. Martin spent his first four NCAA seasons for Florida Atlantic. Article content Martin is a high-flying but undersized guard who stands out as an excellent defender, one of the best perimeter defenders in the SEC. Martin has extensive big-game experience, having reached the NCAA Tournament semifinal in 2023 (he scored 26 points in a one-point loss to San Diego State), before winning it all for Florida this past season in the thrilling Gators win over Houston. Article content Toronto also opted for a defence-first, hard-nosed SEC player a day earlier, taking South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles ninth in the first round of the draft. Article content Team executives had said this week they looked closely at the NBA playoffs this year and how hard players on the last teams standing played and how they mostly excelled defensively. The question that kept coming up was could the guys the Raptors liked one day fit in in similar situations. They felt Murray-Boyles definitely could and while Martin is more of a role of the dice as players taken toward the middle of the second round often don't even make the NBA, he never takes a second off when he's on the court, similar to Jamal Shead, Toronto's pick at 45 last year. Article content Draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic described Martin as 'Small by NBA standards, but makes up for it with power and athleticism. There may not be a better pound-for-pound athlete in the 2025 draft.' Article content Article content The Raptors roster now includes projected starters Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, plus Ja'Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji and Jonathan Mogbo on guaranteed deals. Murray-Boyles will bring that list to 11 before Summer League in Las Vegas next month. Article content Article content Jamison Battle is not on a guaranteed deal, but most likely it will end up guaranteed, Jared Rhoden is also unguaranteed, plus the team has two-way signees A.J. Lawson and Colin Castleton. Toronto technically could add another two-way player, be it Martin or someone else, and as many as two others on standard deals, though they could also roster as few as 14 next season because a full roster could take them into first apron luxury tax territory. As is, they'd be in the least punitive part of the luxury tax, though they'd have all season to get back under via trades. Article content
