Toronto Raptors center Chris Boucher’s role this season is up in the air.
It is no surprise that Toronto is in a rebuild and possesses young talent that needs to develop.
The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $35.2 million contract with the Raptors in 2022. Now he is entering the final year of his deal.
Boucher is the final player remaining from the Raptors’ 2019 championship team. Every NBA player wants to play, but it remains to be seen if Boucher is comfortable being in a teaching role and not having a defined role.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic was asked about Boucher’s role heading into Raptors training camp.
“Chris’ role is to be ready every single day. Is he gonna be starting, playing, being in rotation, playing second unit, or not being in rotation? Like the season is going to dictate that. What he controls and what we control is everyday work that he puts in and he’s doing really good job so far,” Rajakovic told reporters in Montreal.
This is something worth monitoring during preseason and when the regular season kicks off. But, it is great to see that Boucher is accepting of his role and willing to adjust.
However, he could find himself in trade rumors again come the trade deadline.
For the time being, Boucher, Kelly Olynyk and Garrett Temple are the veterans of this Raptors team. When in a rebuild, having veterans is important to teach these rising stars how to win and handle the NBA lifestyle.
All in all, Boucher’s playing time could be limited once again this year and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles that.
Darko Rajakovic reveals why Chris Boucher has been kept out of rotation
Last season when Toronto decided to change course with their roster, it became a youth movement.
At the time, Darko Rajakovic detailed why he initially kept Boucher out of the rotation.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
