Raptors big man is perfect free agent target for Celtics

The Boston Celtics are set for an active offseason, and they will need to find help any way they can.

The Celtics are still the reigning champions for another few days, but their elimination in the second round and Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear have changed the team’s outlook moving forward. Going into the offseason, the Celtics’ financial situation is among the most interesting in the league.

With cost-cutting almost certainly on the horizon, Boston will likely need to move on from some of their core players. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis appear to be the likeliest candidates to be moved this offseason.

While Holiday is a bit easier to replace, given Derrick White’s production and Payton Pritchard’s ability to move into an expanded role, a Porzingis departure could sting much more. Porzingis has spent a fair amount of the past two seasons dealing with injuries, including an unknown illness that kept him out for a large chunk of this season.

Still, Porzingis’ skillset as an outside shooter and rim protector is difficult to find. Luckily for Boston, it might be able to find someone with a similar skillset for cheap.

Raptors big man Chris Boucher is heading into free agency this offseason, and Boston could be a perfect fit, as Efstathios Savvidis of Chowder & Champions wrote in a recent article. After breaking out in the 2020-21 season, Boucher has seen his role in Toronto fluctuate drastically over the past four years.

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While he has made over $10 million in each of the past three seasons, his value could slip just enough to get the Celtics in the mix. This season, Boucher averaged 10 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 36.3% from deep. Although his block numbers have dropped off over the past few seasons, playing for a hopeful contender in Boston could help him unlock that area of his game again.