Celtics Made Trade Deadline Offer for Kawhi Leonard
A new report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says that the Celtics reached out to the San Antonio Spurs with a trade offer for Leonard in February. The report also states that the Spurs turned the offer down without a counter-proposal.
What Was The Offer?
The details of the trade are, as of this writing, unknown. However, it is safe to assume that the trade probably included one of Boston’s young stars in Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. Danny Ainge would have also needed to add some draft picks and possibly another role player. Terry Rozier’s name might have been mentioned, as well as Marcus Morris in the deal for Leonard. At this point, all possible packages are purely speculation, though we may know more in the coming days.
Does This Have an Impact on the Celtics’ Summer Plans?
Now that we know for certain that Ainge is chasing Kawhi, it is possible that his name continues to pop up this offseason. The Spurs have said that they are not taking offers for their star forward at this juncture. Their lack of a counter-proposal back in February indicates that they have held that stance for a while. However, if San Antonio fails to resolve the conflict with Leonard, he could become available. The Celtics are definitely in position to make a strong trade offer should that happen. It also makes the futures of players like Rozier, Brown and Tatum much more foggy in Beantown. If put together with some of Boston’s intriguing picks, like the Kings’ top-1 protected 2019 choice, those players could have a chance at bringing Leonard to Boston.
As of now, the door seems to be shut on any Kawhi Leonard trade scenarios. Nonetheless, the fact that Ainge attempted to trade for him in February will fuel many rumors throughout the summer. It will be interesting to see what both the Celtics and the Spurs do this offseason.
