Popular Raptor Chris Boucher talks free agency, charitable work, inspiring life story
You could make a movie about Chris Boucher's life story.
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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.
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Earlier, he was at times homeless, not in school and unsure of where the future would take him.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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Speaking to Postmedia this week, Boucher seemed at ease with whatever the future holds and justifiably proud of his time with the Raptors.
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'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.
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'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.'
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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.
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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.
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National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Raptors mailbag: Masai Ujiri's replacement? Are they a playoff team?
The NBA draft is over, free agency is underway and Summer League tips in less than a week as the page turns to the 2025-26 season. Article content Which means it's a good time for a Raptors and NBA mailbag. Wasn't surprised to see a lot of questions about the departure of Masai Ujiri and his possible successor. Article content Article content Thanks as always for the queries. Here's Part 1: Article content Pierro @Oliaros2: 'Are we, for the foreseeable future, going to be Washington Wizards bad? Or are we going to be in hateful NBA purgatory: too good to get a high lotto pick that pushes the team forward, not good enough to contend for the playoffs.' Article content RW: It's amusing to ponder this in the wake of Masai's exit since he was adamant the middle was no place to be in the NBA (an accurate statement). He was always dead-set against the Raptors lurking there. I believe in the near term the team will indeed be too good to get a high lottery pick (assuming the key players stay healthy), but I'm more optimistic about the playoffs. In the West they'd be near the bottom, but the East stinks, so the play-in is my absolute floor for these Raptors. Only Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando and New York seem definitively better. That leaves four playoff spots for Boston (no Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis), Indiana (no Tyrese Haliburton or Myles Turner), Detroit (weakened by some defections and no longer benefitting from the element of surprise), Philadelphia (if two of Joel Embiid, Paul George or Jared McCain play 60 games apiece, which is far from guaranteed), Milwaukee, and maybe Miami for Toronto to fight it out with. Article content Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington, Chicago, Miami, weakened Indiana and Detroit seem less talented than these Raptors, but we'll see. Article content Article content Article content Sean @Whispering375: 'Who in your opinion would be the front runner on Masai's job? And if they do hire someone outside of Bobby, don't you think that new person would want a new coach and management?' Article content RW: Ujiri built a very diverse front office complete with a little bit of everything ranging from a jack of all trades with a specialty in the salary cap in Bobby Webster, lots of people with scouting backgrounds, someone who was in media relations (and scouting) in Dan Tolzman, analytics (Keith Boyarsky), and even a former journalist (Luke Winn), amongst others. One thing they don't have is a former agent in a prominent position. That's been the trendy thing in the NBA for a while now (like with Leon Rose in New York). To that end, Bob Myers would be a great candidate, but can't imagine Rogers would meet his price or he'd want to move his family at this point, but you never know. Ideally they'd find an agent-type to work under Webster and maybe even Tolzman, but not sure how likely that is. As you mentioned, it's tough to hire someone above as they usually do want their own people (and I think Webster and Tolzman are more than deserving of showing what they can do in the top two roles. Both are extremely well-regarded league-wide and it would be a shame if Rogers turfed them solely as further cleaning out of the old Ujiri regime. Article content I'm not the only one that's thought a former (or current) agent is most likely to come aboard, but don't know specific candidates. Article content Another idea is a veteran presence in the mix, which was lost when Jeff Weltman went to Orlando years ago. Someone with decades of experience in management as the great Wayne Embry is not a daily presence with the franchise. Article content Or, an out of the box one, what about Steve Nash? (Though that would mean you could shut down all those RJ Barrett trade rumours, since Nash is his godfather). Article content Freeman Igers @freemanigers: 'Do you think Masai's departure is more performance related or compensation?' Article content RW: A little from Column A, a little from Column B, but they're related. From what I've been able to report from sources, Ujiri wasn't keen on Raptors life post-Larry Tanenbaum with Edward Rogers calling all the shots and Rogers wasn't willing to pay Ujiri anything close to what he wanted anyway. So there was no pathway to Ujiri sticking around. If Tanenbaum wasn't on the way out (reports have said Rogers can buy his shares by next summer, they just closed their purchase of Bell's shares this week), there was a good chance Ujiri would stick around a bit longer. But the team's struggles over the last half-decade really soured Rogers on Ujiri at his upper echelons of NBA executives compensation point. Article content Just Win @ 'How much of the current Raptors makeup was Masai and how much is Bobby (who has been GM for years now)? Do you expect significant changes on the court to reflect those differences (what major differences in philosophy might Bobby have)?' Article content RW: Bobby has a different background than Masai, who was always a scout through and through. Webster came up studying and anticipating league trends, helped write a previous CBA, saw how the Magic operated back in the day, etc. It's too early to know how different he will be making the final call. He and Ujiri and Tolzman were aligned on a lot of the prospects they previously liked and the room has always been very inclusive, with opinions solicited from everyone. 'Cross-checking' was a key principle and everyone was encouraged to give their opinions on prospects or trade targets and I wouldn't expect that to change. Article content
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Raptors mailbag: Masai Ujiri's replacement? Are they a playoff team?
Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster. Photo by Jack Boland / Toronto Sun The NBA draft is over, free agency is underway and Summer League tips in less than a week as the page turns to the 2025-26 season. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Which means it's a good time for a Raptors and NBA mailbag. Wasn't surprised to see a lot of questions about the departure of Masai Ujiri and his possible successor. Thanks as always for the queries. Here's Part 1: Pierro @Oliaros2: 'Are we, for the foreseeable future, going to be Washington Wizards bad? Or are we going to be in hateful NBA purgatory: too good to get a high lotto pick that pushes the team forward, not good enough to contend for the playoffs.' RW: It's amusing to ponder this in the wake of Masai's exit since he was adamant the middle was no place to be in the NBA (an accurate statement). He was always dead-set against the Raptors lurking there. I believe in the near term the team will indeed be too good to get a high lottery pick (assuming the key players stay healthy), but I'm more optimistic about the playoffs. In the West they'd be near the bottom, but the East stinks, so the play-in is my absolute floor for these Raptors. Only Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando and New York seem definitively better. That leaves four playoff spots for Boston (no Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis), Indiana (no Tyrese Haliburton or Myles Turner), Detroit (weakened by some defections and no longer benefitting from the element of surprise), Philadelphia (if two of Joel Embiid, Paul George or Jared McCain play 60 games apiece, which is far from guaranteed), Milwaukee, and maybe Miami for Toronto to fight it out with. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington, Chicago, Miami, weakened Indiana and Detroit seem less talented than these Raptors, but we'll see. Sean @Whispering375: 'Who in your opinion would be the front runner on Masai's job? And if they do hire someone outside of Bobby, don't you think that new person would want a new coach and management?' RW: Ujiri built a very diverse front office complete with a little bit of everything ranging from a jack of all trades with a specialty in the salary cap in Bobby Webster, lots of people with scouting backgrounds, someone who was in media relations (and scouting) in Dan Tolzman, analytics (Keith Boyarsky), and even a former journalist (Luke Winn), amongst others. One thing they don't have is a former agent in a prominent position. That's been the trendy thing in the NBA for a while now (like with Leon Rose in New York). To that end, Bob Myers would be a great candidate, but can't imagine Rogers would meet his price or he'd want to move his family at this point, but you never know. Ideally they'd find an agent-type to work under Webster and maybe even Tolzman, but not sure how likely that is. As you mentioned, it's tough to hire someone above as they usually do want their own people (and I think Webster and Tolzman are more than deserving of showing what they can do in the top two roles. Both are extremely well-regarded league-wide and it would be a shame if Rogers turfed them solely as further cleaning out of the old Ujiri regime. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I'm not the only one that's thought a former (or current) agent is most likely to come aboard, but don't know specific candidates. Another idea is a veteran presence in the mix, which was lost when Jeff Weltman went to Orlando years ago. Someone with decades of experience in management as the great Wayne Embry is not a daily presence with the franchise. Or, an out of the box one, what about Steve Nash? (Though that would mean you could shut down all those RJ Barrett trade rumours, since Nash is his godfather). Freeman Igers @freemanigers: 'Do you think Masai's departure is more performance related or compensation?' RW: A little from Column A, a little from Column B, but they're related. From what I've been able to report from sources, Ujiri wasn't keen on Raptors life post-Larry Tanenbaum with Edward Rogers calling all the shots and Rogers wasn't willing to pay Ujiri anything close to what he wanted anyway. So there was no pathway to Ujiri sticking around. If Tanenbaum wasn't on the way out (reports have said Rogers can buy his shares by next summer, they just closed their purchase of Bell's shares this week), there was a good chance Ujiri would stick around a bit longer. But the team's struggles over the last half-decade really soured Rogers on Ujiri at his upper echelons of NBA executives compensation point. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Just Win @ 'How much of the current Raptors makeup was Masai and how much is Bobby (who has been GM for years now)? Do you expect significant changes on the court to reflect those differences (what major differences in philosophy might Bobby have)?' RW: Bobby has a different background than Masai, who was always a scout through and through. Webster came up studying and anticipating league trends, helped write a previous CBA, saw how the Magic operated back in the day, etc. It's too early to know how different he will be making the final call. He and Ujiri and Tolzman were aligned on a lot of the prospects they previously liked and the room has always been very inclusive, with opinions solicited from everyone. 'Cross-checking' was a key principle and everyone was encouraged to give their opinions on prospects or trade targets and I wouldn't expect that to change. @WolstatSun Editorial Cartoons Toronto & GTA Sports Money News MLB
Edmonton Journal
an hour ago
- Edmonton Journal
Raptors mailbag: Masai Ujiri's replacement? Are they a playoff team?
Article content The NBA draft is over, free agency is underway and Summer League tips in less than a week as the page turns to the 2025-26 season. Article content Which means it's a good time for a Raptors and NBA mailbag. Wasn't surprised to see a lot of questions about the departure of Masai Ujiri and his possible successor. Article content Article content Thanks as always for the queries. Here's Part 1: Article content Pierro @Oliaros2: 'Are we, for the foreseeable future, going to be Washington Wizards bad? Or are we going to be in hateful NBA purgatory: too good to get a high lotto pick that pushes the team forward, not good enough to contend for the playoffs.' Article content Article content RW: It's amusing to ponder this in the wake of Masai's exit since he was adamant the middle was no place to be in the NBA (an accurate statement). He was always dead-set against the Raptors lurking there. I believe in the near term the team will indeed be too good to get a high lottery pick (assuming the key players stay healthy), but I'm more optimistic about the playoffs. In the West they'd be near the bottom, but the East stinks, so the play-in is my absolute floor for these Raptors. Only Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando and New York seem definitively better. That leaves four playoff spots for Boston (no Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis), Indiana (no Tyrese Haliburton or Myles Turner), Detroit (weakened by some defections and no longer benefitting from the element of surprise), Philadelphia (if two of Joel Embiid, Paul George or Jared McCain play 60 games apiece, which is far from guaranteed), Milwaukee, and maybe Miami for Toronto to fight it out with. Article content Article content Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington, Chicago, Miami, weakened Indiana and Detroit seem less talented than these Raptors, but we'll see. Article content Article content Article content Sean @Whispering375: 'Who in your opinion would be the front runner on Masai's job? And if they do hire someone outside of Bobby, don't you think that new person would want a new coach and management?' Article content RW: Ujiri built a very diverse front office complete with a little bit of everything ranging from a jack of all trades with a specialty in the salary cap in Bobby Webster, lots of people with scouting backgrounds, someone who was in media relations (and scouting) in Dan Tolzman, analytics (Keith Boyarsky), and even a former journalist (Luke Winn), amongst others. One thing they don't have is a former agent in a prominent position. That's been the trendy thing in the NBA for a while now (like with Leon Rose in New York). To that end, Bob Myers would be a great candidate, but can't imagine Rogers would meet his price or he'd want to move his family at this point, but you never know. Ideally they'd find an agent-type to work under Webster and maybe even Tolzman, but not sure how likely that is. As you mentioned, it's tough to hire someone above as they usually do want their own people (and I think Webster and Tolzman are more than deserving of showing what they can do in the top two roles. Both are extremely well-regarded league-wide and it would be a shame if Rogers turfed them solely as further cleaning out of the old Ujiri regime.
