Tag: chris boucher

Celtics should target two wings and a big for trades in the 2023 offseason in new analysis

For the Celtics and the analysts who cover it, it is never too early to try to think about the future structure of the ball club. 

Thinking about trades for the Boston Celtics before they even finish their postseason might seem a bit much for some fans, but for the organization and the analysts who cover it, it is never too early to think about the future structure of the club.

To such an end, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley assembled a trio of potential targets for the Celtics to consider pursuing via trade in the looming 2023 NBA offseason. Suggesting that until proven otherwise that Boston “could still be a player or two away from getting over the proverbial hump,” Buckley sees some frontcourt and wing players on other teams at present as potentially wise additions to the team’s roster.

Let’s take a look at that trio.

Social Media Buzz: NBA World reacts to Chris Boucher’s Michael Jordan-esque dunk

Chris Boucher threw down a dunk on Thursday that’s in contention for the longest in NBA history. Of course he did.

One of the most entertaining developments of the current NBA season is the fact that some former Oregon Ducks are starting to really establish themselves among the most entertaining young stars of the game.

We’ve seen time and again that Bol Bol is an enigma in the league, capable of doing almost anything he wants with the ball in his lanky possession with the Orlando Magic. Another guy who has really been coming into his own is Toronto Raptors’ Chis Boucher, who has developed nicely into a stretch 4 who can handle the ball, shoot from deep, and still be a nice presence in the paint thanks to his length.

On Thursday night, the first games back from the NBA All-Star break, Boucher provided a highlight that made waves throughout the league, bringing back images of Michael Jordan in the slam dunk contest.

Of course, we aren’t comparing Boucher to MJ himself, but the dunk that he threw down from the free throw line on Thursday night definitely was MJ-esque.

Here’s how the NBA world reacted to the incredible highlight:

A new cadre of players become trade eligible as of Jan. 15; Do any make sense for the Boston Celtics?

We found three that could — but only if you squint hard.

As the 2023 NBA trade deadline draws to within a month, interest in shaking up the rosters of one’s favorite ball clubs is becoming an increasingly popular pastime among fans of the Boston Celtics and the other 29 teams in the league.

Analysts of the league are fanning the flames to help with the proliferation of trade ideas with their own suggestions, and on top of the cadre of players who became available for trades on the unofficial start of this year’s trade season on December 15, we will see a new batch of players become available for trades on January 15 after limits on their being dealt for deals signed in the offseason lifts.

Our friends over at our sister site Hoops Hype’s podcast of the same name Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan put together a list of the best such players coming available tomorrow.

All-Sixers killers lineup, non All-Star players who give Philly trouble

Here is a lineup of non All-Star players who always seem to give the Philadelphia 76ers trouble.

There are a certain group of players who always seem to come up large against specific teams. These players are solid role guys who play important parts in their team’s success, but they always seem to take their game to another level when they play specific teams.

These are the “team killers.” Everybody has them. The Philadelphia 76ers are no different. A certain group of role players always seem to step up when they see the Sixers on the schedule.

The following players are a part of the “All-Sixers killers” lineup Sixers Wire has put together:

Chris Boucher inks three-year deal to remain with Toronto Raptors

Former Oregon Ducks center Chris Boucher inked a three-year deal with the Toronto Raptors worth over $35 million dollars.

The NBA free agency period began with a frenzy – as is usually the case – and a large group of players already put pen to paper for the upcoming season.

Among that stack of freshly signed contracts is former Oregon Ducks big man Chris Boucher’s after he inked a three-year, $35.25 million dollar deal to remain in Toronto with the Raptors.

In 80 games with Toronto last season, Boucher averaged 9.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, down a bit from the 13.6 points he averaged in 20-21 when he shot a blistering 38.3% from the three point line. Still, it was nice to see the big man healthy for an entire season, as he failed to play in more than 62 games in the two previous years with Toronto.

Boucher, who tore his ACL late in his senior season at Oregon – a year the Ducks went to the Final 4 – will now look to reprise his role as a valuable stretch big man who can block shots for a Toronto team that is trying to make their way back into relevancy in the Eastern Conference.

[listicle id=25689]

5 underappreciated NBA free agents that might be great steals this offseason, including Gary Payton II

Who is available for relatively cheap that can help turn a franchise around?

The NBA offseason is chaotic, but when the dust settles, there are always free agents who slip through the cracks and sign cheaper contracts.

Teams that are able to identify the players that fit that description will have a competitive advantage on the floor during the season. But the problem is that if several teams all believe the same player could be a steal, his price will go up and he is no longer as valuable of an asset.

Last season, the Bulls signed Alex Caruso to a fair contract, and he helped define Chicago’s defensive identity. JaVale McGee signed a minimum deal with the Suns and he was better than expected. The Warriors also found Otto Porter Jr. on a minimum deal, and he played a valuable role in their title run.

As we get set for this offseason to turn on the jets, we wanted to take a look at some of the players who might fit that description this summer:

Only 1 Oregon Duck among Canada’s 14-core FIBA players this summer

Former Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks – but not center Chris Boucher – is among Canada’s 14 core players ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games

14 Canadian basketball players – ranging from NBA stars to NCAA and international performers – committed to representing Canada over the next three years as the country ramps up for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

One former Oregon Ducks star – Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks – is among the commitments for the Canadians. At this time he will not be joined by fellow countrymen and Oregon alumni Chris Boucher.

Many felt Boucher’s size and outside shooting would be a huge boost for the Canadian squad, but Boucher’s upcoming free agency likely caused him to forego the events happening this summer, lest he risk injuring himself and jeopardizing his NBA future.

As noted by Sportsnet writer Blake Murphy, additional events in 2023 will almost certainly include more Canadian players, and perhaps Boucher will be among them at that time.

For now, Brooks will be joined by a handful of NBA stars, including RJ Barrett, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kelly Olynyk, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, and Dwight Powell, as well as Purdue’s Zach Edey and former Gonzaga point guard Kevin Pangos.

[listicle id=24365]

Five players to watch to use the Tristan Thompson traded player exception on

Boston has become adept with the use of non-simultaneous trades, and have three of note to work with.

The Boston Celtics have become pioneers in the art of juggling traded player exceptions (TPEs) to maintain cap flexibility and manage their overall luxury tax burden, deftly using second-round draft picks to allow the franchise to add or deal away players

The team possesses three such TPEs of note on top of two smaller ones (for $500,000 from the Moses Brown trade and for $370,564 from the Jeff Teague trade). The smaller ones are unlikely to be used given that such exceptions are the space into which a team completes a non-simultaneous trade. That means any player incoming will need to make no more than $100,000 above the dollar amount in each TPE, which cannot be combined or added to otherwise.

Apart from those, Boston has TPEs for $17.1 million from the Evan Fournier trade, $9.7 million from the Tristan Thompson deal, and just over $5 million left from the Kemba Walker trade. They expire July 18, July 7, and May 17 respectively. Today, we’ll look at some of our favorite options the Celtics could trade for with the Thompson TPE.

Ranking the most successful two-way players ever

HoopsHype ranks the best two-way contract NBA players ever, judging them by how successful they’ve been since first being signed.

Since the 2017-18 season, the NBA has had two-way contracts as a new means to give teams more opportunities to find diamond-in-the-rough types of players, and to give those players homes as they try to make their way through the early stages of their professional basketball careers.

Two-way contracts allow teams to sign young, usually undrafted (though sometimes even second-round-pick) players to a deal that lets them split those guys’ time between the NBA and the G League. That gives those players the chance to spend time in the NBA and practice against the best of the best while also giving them the opportunity to get more playing time in the G League, where they can really hone their skills through in-game action.

Thus far, there’s no question the two-way program has been a success for both teams and players, and multiple very promising careers have already sprung up through two-way contracts.

Below, check out our ranking of the 10 most successful players who started their NBA careers on two-way deals.

Lu Dort talks about facing fellow Montrealers Chris Boucher, Khem Birch

Lu Dort posted a picture with Chris Boucher and Khem Birch after the three Montreal players faced off in an NBA game.

Not long after the Oklahoma City Thunder game against the Toronto Raptors, OKC wing Lu Dort posted a picture with Raptors bigs Chris Boucher and Khem Birch.

“Nothing is given where we come from,” he captioned the photo.

According to Basketball RealGM, Dort and Birch are the only current NBA players who were born in Montreal. Boucher, who was born in St. Lucia, moved to Montreal when he was 5 years old.

The three faced off on Sunday night. Dort and Boucher immediately went to battle, putting up first-quarter point tallies of 21 and 17, respectively.

“We’re actually from the same neighborhood,” Dort said about Boucher. “He’s older than me, so I used to watch him play when I was young. It’s just so crazy how we’re all from Montreal, him and Khem Birch, and we’re all here now in the NBA playing in an NBA game. It’s so amazing just to see how far we came.”

There haven’t been many players born in Montreal to reach the NBA. The RealGM page lists eight total athletes in league history.

Boucher told the Associated Press that playing against Dort gave him some motivation.

“It put some pep in my step a little bit. It definitely put some more energy into the game,” he said. “I just want people to realize we have guys from Montreal that are really talented. It was an exciting showcase just to show people what we have.”

Dort also said that the city is a talented basketball area.

“Montreal is still an underdog city and we have so much talent there,” he said. “There’s so many kids coming up, and I feel like there’s going to be so many more NBA players from Montreal.”

With that said, he knows it won’t be easy. He advised the kids in his town to keep working hard.

“Me, Khem and Chris, we all have different backgrounds. We all from Montreal, but we all went to different places, we all had different routes,” Dort said. “It’s not going to be easy to get to this point and this level, but I know a lot of kids are going to do it. They just got to work hard.”

On Sunday, all the work from these three players was apparent. Birch, in the starting lineup, finished with seven points and six rebounds. Dort had 29 points and five 3-pointers.

Boucher scored a game-high 31 to go with 12 rebounds, and he iced the game with a 3-pointer to give the Raptors a 112-106 victory.

“He always been a dog,” Dort said. “He always had it in him. Big games, to step up, it’s not new. I’ve seen him do it before.”

[lawrence-related id=444430,444431]

[vertical-gallery id=444474]