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Chris Boucher #99 of the Boston Celtics
Give the Boston Celtics credit. With the situation they were in heading into last summer, woefully into the second apron of the luxury tax for the foreseeable future, coming off a disappointing second-round loss in the playoffs to the Knicks and looking at Achilles tendon surgery for superstar Jayson Tatum, they’ve rebounded quite nicely.
The Celtics are 24-15, and just a half-game behind the Knicks for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference race this year, with the possibility of Tatum being ready for a return in two months or so. All things considered, that’s a remarkable result for Boston, and a credit both to team president Brad Stevens and coach Joe Mazzulla.
Luka Garza, Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, Anfernee Simons … the Celtics have come up with a series of impressive role players who have helped support top-notch seasons from stars Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and now, Payton Pritchard. But it does appear one was a swing and a miss: free-agent signee Chris Boucher. And he might not be around for long.
Celtics’ Chris Boucher the ‘Most Likely’ to be Dealt
Again, it is hard to come down on the Celtics for the Boucher signing. He was effective for the Raptors last season, and averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game. Boston doled out only a $2.5 million minimum contract for him, and it is just a one-year deal.
But the Celtics are over the luxury tax, so every dollar they ship out saves them off their final bill. The team did have a goal of getting under the tax altogether, but that’s not going to happen this year.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, a former Nets executive, the Celtics can be expected to shop, and most likely trade, Boucher ahead of next month’s NBA trade deadline. Writes Marks:
“Boucher signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract in the offseason, and there was belief he could provide frontcourt depth, especially after averaging 10 PPG last season with Toronto. Instead, he is playing just 11.4 minutes per game behind Luka Garza and Josh Minott on Boston’s depth chart.
“While it is unlikely the Celtics get under the luxury tax this season (they are $12 million over), trading Boucher would save them $9 million.”
GettyCeltics President Brad Stevens talks to the media.
No Trade on Anfernee Simons
Marks, it is worth noting, also adds that it is unlikely that the Celtics will trade the expiring $27.7 million that the team has on the contract of Simons. Boston could get under the tax–and avoid the “repeater” penalties that come with it–by sending out Simons and taking back $15 million or less in return, but as Marks points out, Simons has had a nice role with Boston as a sixth man.
Marks added, “Simons has played a key role in Boston’s surprise surge into the East’s top tier. For the first time since the 2021-22 campaign, Simons is coming off the bench, averaging 13.5 points per game and 40.2% shooting from 3.”
That is, indeed, part of the Celtics’ motivation for keeping Simons. But with limited salary space on the market, there is also almost no path for the Celtics to unload Simons for $12 million in savings. It’s not necessarily that the Celtics do not want to trade Simons to get under the tax–it’s that they can’t.