Kawhi Leonard. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Kawhi Leonard's still available to the highest bidder, but it doesn't sound like that'll be the Celtics--at least according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He said yesterday Boston isn't willing to offer San Antonio a compelling package for its disgruntled star.
"Boston's really got their top-five players off limits," Wojnarowski said. "Boston's more willing to do a deal that's pick heavy, but the Spurs want good players back--they don't want to rebuild, they want picks, and they want guys who can help them stay in the playoffs."
Presumably, that means Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford aren't going anywhere. Wojnarowski offered his thoughts on why.
"Number one, the health," he said. "They don't have access to his medical information, and even if you give Leonard a physical, until you see him back on the court--he's a top five player before the injury, will he become a top 10 or a top 15? Will his body respond? You don't know until he's back on the court. He only played nine games last year. And then teams like Boston, Philly, others, they're weighing the chances they have to re-sign him. Leonard has been really consistent, well really privately, that he wants to go to the Lakers, and so, to take him on essentially as a rental, to give up players, picks, for a player who's going to leave after one year? Boston and Philly don't have to take big risks like that."
Stay tuned.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports