After addressing their need for more backcourt depth via the Jose Alvarado deal, with the trade deadline passed and buyout season in full swing, the New York Knicks should now look toward a currently available player on the open market to tend to another position in need of bolstering.
In an effort to cut down on their payroll, the second-apron Celtics shipped veteran big man Chris Boucher to the Utah Jazz ahead of last Thursday's 3 p.m. (ET) cut-off, where he was subsequently waived.
Here in his ninth year in the association, the 33-year-old has found himself amid one of the worst campaigns of his career, averaging just 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds while being buried at the back of Boston's bench.
Despite his underwhelming production thus far into 2025-26, however, there's still plenty of reason for the Knicks to be interested in a low-cost pursuit of Boucher.
Chris Boucher could add much needed frontcourt depth for Knicks
Before injuries started to take their toll on New York's guard rotation, it was their big man depth that took center stage in the positional needs department.
With Karl-Anthony Towns' up-and-down play throughout the season, coupled with Mitchell Robinson's well-documented health issues throughout his career, this shouldn't surprise anyone.
Now, with Alvarado coming in to strengthen the backcourt with Miles McBride potentially shelved through the remainder of the regular season, Leon Rose and company should get back to trying to address their frontcourt dilemma.
Prior to this season, Boucher had built a solid reputation as a capable floor spacer and rim protector who, in 2024-25, averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor and 36.3 percent from deep.
Only five years ago, the big man also wound up placing eighth in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year race after averaging 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on 38.3 percent shooting from deep with the Raptors.
Though generally slotted in at the four, with his 6-foot-8 frame and 7-foot-4 wingspan, he certainly can hold his own as a small-ball five as well when called upon.
Along with his positional and play-style fit, Boucher is a two-time NBA Champion from his stints with the Golden State Warriors and Toronto. Adding someone with title experience to this hungry Knicks squad could prove to be quite valuable from a psyche and know-how standpoint, on top of merely just on-court.
Add all of this to the fact that this cash-strapped team can't afford more than roughly the veteran's minimum, and a pursuit of someone like Boucher with his value at an all-time low may just be the perfect low-risk, high-reward investment the Knicks could make at this point in the season.