The Boston Celtics had to find a quality center to fill their hole this offseason. After losing Jayson Tatum to an injury during last season’s playoffs, Boston decided to pivot and essentially treat next season as a gap year. Some players might agree with it, others might not, but the Celtics shed millions in salary and depleted their talent pool. They traded two core guys of their championship run in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. And after letting Al Horford walk (although he remains unsigned), they were rather thin at the center position. Yet, that might seem to change.
The Boston Celtics Get a Center with Championship Experience
According to ESPN senior writer Shams Charania, the Celtics managed to find a quality center with championship experience. They signed Chris Boucher, one of the best remaining free agents on the market.
Free agent forward Chris Boucher has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Boston Celtics, agent Sam Permut of Roc Nation tells ESPN. Boucher lands a guaranteed deal with the Celtics and is expected to have a significant role in the frontcourt. pic.twitter.com/H13dHVyuu8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 5, 2025
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It is worth noting that Boucher was the last member still remaining on the Raptors from their 2019 NBA championship run. While he played only 28 games during the regular season and two in the playoffs that season, he was still on the roster.
Earlier in the day, the Celtics traded Georges Niang to the Utah Jazz for salary relief.
Is Boucher the Savior for the Celtics?
It is worth noting that Boucher has almost never been a starter in this league. He spent seven seasons in Toronto, appearing in 406 games. He started only 23 of them. In the last two seasons, he played in only 100 games due to injuries.
It is hard to see Boucher as the savior who will be a starting center for the Boston Celtics. But they are getting him on a low-salary deal for one year. It is essentially a one-year rental, with a chance to come back on a longer deal if both sides are happy. The Celtics need to fill the center position, and at 6-foot-9, Boucher is a versatile big man who can also play power forward. Last season, he upped his three-point attempts from 1.9 per game to 3.9, and converted them at a 36.3% rate. Being good from behind the three-point line is one of the most important aspects of playing for the Celtics. He averaged 10 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game last season.
Can the Celtics Compete Next Season?
If you listen to their players, they believe they are, at the very least, a playoff team. Payton Pritchard, one of the remaining core members of the title run, says the team is still trying to be a playoff team. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year recently appeared on the Celtics Talk Podcast, saying,
“We’re definitely trying to be a playoff team. We’re trying to win a championship. It’s not even about playoffs; we have one standard in Boston, and it’s to win a championship. Everybody in that locker room will have the goal of competing for a championship. And we will do everything in our power necessary to go for that. That’s what (the fans) should know.”
There were rumors that Tatum might return sooner and that he looks great. The Celtics still have Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. With Tatum, that would be three of the starters of the 2024 championship team.
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