NBA free agency commenced over one month ago and the Philadelphia 76ers still don’t have a safe bet at power forward. While the top unrestricted free agents are off the market, a few unsigned fours were remaining that could help the 76ers. That was until the Boston Celtics made a flurry of moves that took the best available power forward off the market.
This afternoon, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Boston is trading Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for R.J. Luis Jr. Even before Niang was dealt, Boston’s power forward depth looked shakier than Philadelphia’s. Once the Celtics went through with this trade, they technically didn’t have a four listed on their roster.
Less than half an hour after this deal was finished, Boston signed Chris Boucher to a one-year veteran minimum contract. It’s not so much how Boucher can elevate the Celtics that is most aggravating to the 76ers. It’s more so the fact that if Philadelphia wanted to use one of its last two roster slots on a power forward, the options are lackluster. Now, Trey Lyles is the best power forward option out there and there’s a gap after him.
Boucher would've been a decent pickup for the 76ers
Don’t get me wrong, even if the 76ers snagged Boucher, he’s not exactly a needle-moving acquisition. However, he would’ve been their safest bet at the four position as someone who could space the floor, capably crash the glass, and add a touch of defensive versatility. When you think about it, those three boxes are exactly what Philadelphia’s lacking in its front-court.
Nonetheless, there are reasons why Boucher earned just a veteran minimum contract this summer. He spent six seasons with the Toronto Raptors (2020-25) and emerged as a key rotational piece in their post-Kawhi Leonard era. In the 2020-21 campaign, Boucher finished eighth in Sixth Man of the Year voting and posted a career-best 13.6 points per game.
However, with the arrival of Scottie Barnes one year later and the acquisition of Jakob Poeltl during the 2022-23 season, Boucher’s role decreased. In his last few seasons with the Raptors, he and Nick Nurse appeared to have a tense relationship where Nurse always seemed to expect more from him. On top of that, Boucher’s overall motor was inconsistent and his offensive skill set was a bit one-dimensional with his perimeter shooting.
Before signing with the Celtics, there was never any reported interest between the 76ers and Boucher. You have to wonder if he and Nurse’s seemingly rocky relationship would resurface if Philadelphia did decide to take a flier on him. Regardless, this isn’t the end of the world and the 76ers are wise to hold on to an extra roster spot heading into next season.