Celtics Rumors: Latest Buzz on Possible Kawhi Leonard Trade and NBA Draft

There may be no general manager more active in the NBA than Danny Ainge. With arguably the busiest time of the offseason upon us with the NBA draft hours away, it should come as no surprise that the Boston Celtics are frequently popping up in the rumor mill.

Boston was involved in a major blockbuster trade last summer by landing Kyrie Irving, and now they are being linked to Kawhi Leonard, as the San Antonio Spurs superstar wants out of the organization. Thus, the Celtics could be in store for another major roster move in the coming weeks, while they also hope to land an impact player in the draft.

Does that entail moving up? It seems like a possibility. Either way, recent reports seem to indicate Boston is serious about drastically enhancing a team that was a game away from winning a conference title.

Leonard Sweepstakes

Another offseason, another NBA superstar who wants out of his organization. Once again, the Celtics are waiting with open arms to take him in.

Multiple reports in the last week have suggested Leonard wants a trade from the Spurs, meaning a no-doubt top-five player in the league could be available. According to Sporting News' Sean Deveney, Boston is one of several teams considered a "serious" suitor for swing a deal for Leonard.

Deveney cites NBA executives who believe the Spurs are in limbo not knowing Leonard's status before they head into the draft. If he is going to force his way out, they would seemingly like to stock up on draft picks to add to their foundation.

Still, this does not make it likely that Leonard will be moved before or during the draft. Deveney cited sources suggesting a deal with a superstar like Leonard is rarely rushed.

"You can talk about trades at this time of year," an executive said, "but if they're stars, you've got to be patient. Look at when the deals for Kyrie and Paul George actually happened."

Boston has as many desirable assets as any team in the league, but should they be ripping apart that core to bring in Leonard?

Jayson Tatum is the crown jewel, but he looks like an emerging star in the NBA after leading Boston with 18.5 points per game in the postseason.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski suggested last week that Jaylen Brown could be an option along with a first-round pick:

Given the amount of quality, young talent Boston has been able to bring in via the draft in recent seasons, moving a mid-round pick should not be a big deal. Moving Brown or Tatum is risky business, as Leonard is coming off of a season where he played nine games and could leave in free agency after this upcoming season.

If the Celtics are convinced Leonard is healthy and will sign a massive extension, then they have to be aggressive to get Leonard. Generational players like him rarely become available, and Boston already has some uncertainty with whether they can get Irving to sign an extension. 

If there is any doubt about these factors with Leonard, Boston should be weary of any trade. This current core has the makings of a special unit, and it should never be broken up in exchange for a player with so many question marks.

Backup Plan

If Leonard no longer becomes a viable option, the Celtics reportedly could use their assets in another fashion at the draft.

Per former ESPN Radio host Ryen Russillo, the Celtics want to move up tonight:

Given the run the Celtics have been on, taking the East's No. 1 seed two seasons ago and nearly winning the conference last month, their window to win is now open. So it makes sense they would try to move into the top 10 for a possible star rather than the depth player they would get at No. 27.

They have the draft assets to pull off such a move, also holding three first-rounders in next year's draft—including the picks of rebuilding teams in the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies. If the Celtics were to give up that sort of capital, one would think they would be certain that the player they want in the top 10 will be there.

Such a trade also becomes dicey if a team, especially one in or on the fringe of the top five, wants a roster player back also. Would Boston be willing to move a budding player like Terry Rozier for the chance to draft an elite player? That and draft picks is a hefty price for sure.

If Boston does decide to move into the top 10, a forward has to be the pick. Al Horford was essentially the only inside scoring presence the Celtics had last season, and he is 32 and entering the last year of his deal. A player like Mohamed Bamba or Wendell Carter Jr. would be a viable replacement, or even Marvin Bagley III could slip on draft night.

Other Options Becoming Clearer

If the Celtics decide to stay put and choose at the end of the draft, they seemingly have keyed in on several targets.

Per Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, Boston seems to be focusing on multiple wing players at No. 27, and Murphy dished on who those guys are:

All three players are viable options for the Celtics, assuming any of them are still available.

Grayson Allen is known as an outstanding shooter, having hit nearly 40 percent of his threes during his four-year career. He comes with some possible baggage due to his well-known kicking and tripping antics in college, but there is no doubt he could provide some depth scoring in the NBA. For a player being taken at the end of the first round, that just about meets expectations.

Josh Okogie would represent the most athletic of the three mentioned options, and he can also score in a variety of ways. He averaged 18.2 points last season while hitting 38 percent of his threes in addition to snagging 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and dishing out 2.5 assists.

He may not have the same personality and tendency to agitate as Marcus Smart, but Okogie contributes on the stat sheet in similar fashions. With Smart possibly out of Boston's price range this summer, the Celtics could well target Okogie as a replacement.

Lastly, Jerome Robinson is a pure scorer, much like Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams. He is lightning fast off of the dribble and not afraid to take any shot. He poured in roughly 20 points per game the last two seasons on over 15 shots per night. This included a monster outing against Allen's loaded Duke squad last season:

Every team can use more scoring, so Robinson holds a lot of value for the Celtics and every other team picking late in the first round. He may be the target most likely to be gone by No. 27.

Already loaded with a litany of scoring in Brown, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford and Irving, the Celtics might not be as hard-pressed for offense as other teams.

They also finished second in the NBA this season in three-point percentage, so a spot-up shooter like Allen may not be a massive priority. For these reasons, someone like Okogie who can defend, rebound and play without the ball seems like the most valuable pick to add more versatility to shape out the roster.

Statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com