Why the Toronto Raptors Opted to Move On From Chris Boucher

The Toronto Raptors could have brought back Chris Boucher this summer.

Had the organization wanted to, they had the roster space and financial flexibility to re-sign him on a veteran minimum deal. It would have meant letting go of Garrett Temple or passing on Sandro Mamukelashvili, but the option was there.

They chose not to take it.

Boucher is now a member of the Boston Celtics, signing a one-year, $3.3 million deal on Tuesday. The 32-year-old became an unrestricted free agent after his three-year contract with the Raptors expired at the end of the season. He didn’t leave Toronto because he priced himself out. He left because the Raptors made a conscious decision to move on.

It wasn’t personal. It was about fit, philosophy, and where the team is headed.

Boucher appeared in 50 games last season but didn’t play after February 26 as the Raptors shifted into evaluation mode. Rookies Jonathan Mogbo and Jamison Battle took his minutes, and head coach Darko Rajaković leaned fully into development. By the final stretch of the season, Boucher’s role had disappeared.

“I know who Chris is,” former Raptors president Masai Ujiri said at his end-of-season availability. “I don’t know who Jonathan Mogbo is and I don’t know who Jamison Battle is.”

Boucher never made a fuss. He stayed professional, brought energy when called upon, and accepted his reduced role. But his style of play was fast, instinctive, and often chaotic. That didn’t align with Rajaković’s system. The Raptors now emphasize ball movement, structure, and decision-making. Under Nick Nurse, Boucher thrived in Toronto’s unpredictable, high-energy second units. Under Rajaković, he became expendable.

The Raptors explored trading Boucher at each of the last two deadlines but couldn’t find a deal. Ujiri said teams expressed interest, but it’s unlikely pick compensation was ever offered given Boucher remained in Toronto. By the time the offseason arrived, the decision was simple. The Raptors let him walk.

In his place, the Raptors signed Mamukelashvili and opted to keep Temple on another one-year deal. While Temple is unlikely to play real minutes, the team values his leadership, work ethic, and ability to help guide a young locker room. On a roster full of players still figuring out their roles, that was seen as more valuable than Boucher’s production.

The Raptors could have brought him back. They didn’t. Not because he couldn’t contribute, but because he no longer fit what the franchise is trying to build.

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