Celtics newcomer Chris Boucher will become one of the very few players to ever wear the No. 99 for the franchise when he makes his debut this season. Only five others have donned the double nine in Boston before: Roy Rogers, Darko Milicic, Jae Crowder, Tacko Fall, and Justin Champagnie.
Chris Boucher (@chrisboucher) will wear No. 99 for the #Celtics. Number last worn by Justin Champagnie in 2023. #NBA pic.twitter.com/JKGNM5UM05
— Etienne Catalan (@EtienneCatalan) September 17, 2025
Boucher has always worn No. 25 throughout his pro career with the Golden State Warriors (one appearance, lol) and the Toronto Raptors. Of course, he now has to leave the number behind as the Celtics have long retired it for former player and coach K.C. Jones.
His first season wearing 99 should be an interesting one, for sure.
Chris Boucher may turn out to be a great signing for the Celtics
The 32-year-old officially signed a one-year contract in Boston last month, giving the team some much-needed frontcourt depth. Key contributors like Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet will all be suiting up elsewhere this season, so the minutes will certainly be there for the former Oregon Duck.
Boucher’s versatility should make him a nice fit in the Celtics’ rotation. The Raptors sure made the most of it last year, using the big man at the three, four, and five. He’s not quite bulky enough to play the center spot full-time, but, at six-feet-nine-inches tall, he has the size to take on the role in small-ball lineups.
His skill set also strays from those of Boston’s other bigs. Boucher is really the only one of the bunch who’s shown that he can knock down threes at a consistent rate. Last year, he drilled 36.3% of his long-range attempts on 3.9 tries per game. In fact, he’s actually pieced together his most efficient shooting seasons when he’s had his highest volume of attempts -- a good sign as he joins a three-point heavy offense with the Cs.
Depending on what head coach Joe Mazzulla has in mind, there’s a chance that Boucher could be a starter in Boston. With Jayson Tatum sidelined with a ruptured Achilles, there’s an opening at the power forward spot. If Mazzulla favors a more traditional starting five with size, then Boucher might be his man. If he prioritizes shooting, then it could be Sam Hauser.
Regardless of which point of the game Boucher’s minutes come, one thing that can’t be overlooked is his potential impact on the glass. Tatum was a huge part of the rebounding game last year in the regular season and playoffs. Without him, Boucher’s added size should help at least a little bit.
He averaged 4.7 boards per game in Toronto in just 17 minutes per appearance in 2024-25.
When it’s all said and done, fans may look back on the late-offseason signing as underrated. Boucher has all the tools to be an impactful role player on a competitive team.