Report: Celtics eyeing two-time champion big man

The Boston Celtics may be after a guy who has played for two of their rivals.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports said this week on the “Ball Don’t Lie” podcast that the Celtics have long liked Toronto Raptors big Chris Boucher. Fischer adds that Boston would like another frontcourt piece behind Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, though he also notes that due to Boucher’s $11.7 million salary, the Celtics may have to give up something meaningful to get him.

Boucher, 30, is a two-time NBA champion, winning titles with the Golden State Warriors in 2018 and the Raptors in 2019. He was also named MVP of the NBA G League in 2019.

These days, Boucher still doesn’t get many minutes for the now-rebuilding Raptors, a miniscule 14.2 per game off the bench this season. But he is a strong shot-blocker and a switchable overall defender who also has at least some ability to space the floor with a three-point jumper. That is something the Celtics do not quite have with their current third big man, Luke Kornet.

At an NBA-best 28-7 this season, the Celtics obviously do not need to do anything drastic ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline. But an upgrade around the fringes like a Boucher might be exactly the move. We heard earlier this month too that Boston is considering another (much more familiar) bench big on the trade market.