There is a love for Chris Boucher in Toronto.
For nearly six seasons, the 31-year-old Montrealer was the energetic player on the bench for the Toronto Raptors. No, he was never a particularly complete player and he made more than his fair share of mistakes over the years, but when it came to energy, Boucher always brought it.
That’s why Raptors fans started chanting “We want Butcher” late in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, hoping that head coach Darko Rajaković would replace the 6-foot-9 Canadian for a few unnecessary minutes.
These fans, however, were disappointed.
Boucher’s time as the Raptors appears to be coming to an end. He’s been in and out of the rotation since the start of the season and it’s clear he’s fallen out of favor within the organization.
This makes some sense since Boucher is no longer part of Toronto’s young core. He is the third oldest player on the team, and since this season is a rebuild, Toronto prefers to give playing time to younger players.
Upon closer inspection, it is clear that there is also a rift between Boucher and the organization. He hasn’t played regularly in over a month and Boucher seems to know where he stands. The exuberance he was once known for seems to have faded and his level of commitment is no longer the same.
So why not move on?
The Raptors would have done it if they could. Toronto was certainly interested in moving Boucher before the trade deadline, but with $10.8 million owed to him next season, rival teams weren’t exactly lining up to make a deal.
Consider the situation of Dennis Schröder, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline. Toronto received nothing for its former starting point guard, who has $13 million left on his contract next season. Boucher was even less valuable despite his slightly cheaper contract.
Boucher’s term will likely end in the coming months. Either Toronto will find a buyer for him during the offseason, when his contract is less prohibitive, or the organization will waive it.
It will be an unhappy end for Boucher in Toronto, a tenure that saw him accumulate 2,727 points, the most ever by a Raptor. But as the organization turns a new leaf, it’s healthier for everyone to go their separate ways.
