Knicks Explore Chris Boucher as Center Depth Solution
The New York Knicks are down a big man and running out of time.
Ariel Hukporti is gone. Jonas Valanciunas slipped away. The offer sheet to Moussa Cisse? Matched by the Dallas Mavericks. Training camp is closing in, and the back end of Tom Thibodeau’s frontcourt still has a vacancy.
So the Knicks have hit the brakes.
Instead of scrambling for the next available body, they’ve cooled the market search, sifting through what’s left with a more cautious eye. One name has emerged from the remaining pile: Chris Boucher.
A Veteran Answer to a Simple Question
Joseph Randazzo of Knicks on SI floated the idea, and it makes a certain kind of sense.
“The Knicks likely consider some inexpensive options to fill out their depth at the center position. Chris Boucher may be an intriguing choice for them in their search,” Randazzo wrote, pointing to the profile of a player who has seen winning up close, even if not from center stage.
Boucher, now 33, has lived in the margins of contenders. He was part of the 2018–2019 Golden State Warriors and the 2019–2020 Toronto Raptors during their championship runs, carving out minor roles but absorbing the habits and demands of teams playing deep into June.
He’s not a star. He doesn’t need to be.
What he offers is versatility across the frontcourt, the sort of flexibility that appeals to a coach like Mike Brown, who would have another piece to move around the chessboard. Boucher can slide between the 4 and the 5, space the floor enough to keep defenses honest, and rotate from the weak side to challenge shots at the rim.
For a third-string big, that’s a useful blend.
A Difficult Season, a Motivated Player
The appeal comes with a warning label: last season was rough.
Boucher never found traction. Splitting time between the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, he struggled to make a dent in either rotation. Joe Mazzulla used him sparingly in Boston — just nine games — and the numbers reflected a player searching for rhythm.
In those appearances, Boucher averaged 2.3 points and 2 rebounds, shooting 32% from the field and 13.3% from three. Then came the move to Utah, followed quickly by a waiver. The rest of his year played out from the sidelines.
For some veterans, that kind of season signals the beginning of the end. For others, it sharpens the edge.
If the Knicks decide to bring him in, they’d be betting on the latter: a veteran with something to prove, chasing one more meaningful role on a team with legitimate ambitions. On a short leash and in a clearly defined spot, Boucher wouldn’t be asked to rescue lineups — just to hold them together.
His history on championship-level teams also fits the culture New York has built. This is a locker room that leans on professionalism, sacrifice, and role acceptance. Boucher has lived that life before.
Not the Only Path
Of course, Boucher is not the only name on the board.
The free-agent market still holds multiple bigs who could soak up third-string minutes. There are also trade avenues, with attainable big men potentially available for the right price if the Knicks decide they want someone more established or stylistically specific.
Boucher, in that sense, is more concept than solution: a template for the kind of player New York might target. Inexpensive. Experienced. Comfortable in a limited role.
The front office might look at the tape and decide he’s not the right fit. They might prefer a younger project, a more traditional rim protector, or a big with a different offensive profile.
There’s also a bolder option on the table: roll into the season with just two bigs in the regular rotation and trust the rest of the roster to cover the gaps. If an injury or foul trouble exposes that thinness, the Knicks could pivot then, scanning the list of midseason waivers, buyouts, and trade requests that always reshape the landscape.
Players become available. They always do.
For now, New York holds something far more valuable than a fringe signing in September: leverage. There’s no need to rush into the wrong move just to say the depth chart is complete.
The Knicks want the right third big, not just the next one. Whether Chris Boucher becomes that answer will say plenty about how aggressively they intend to chase every marginal edge in a season built on serious expectations.
