Celtics Rumors: BOS Has No Kawhi Leonard Assurances; Jaylen Brown Not Included

The Boston Celtics have reportedly received no assurances from San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard that he wants to play for them, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe added on Thursday that the Celtics have not included wing Jaylen Brown in any offers and said they are taking a "conservative approach" in their talks.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the Spurs have engaged in talks with both the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

Wojnarowski added that the Spurs are "most intrigued" by Boston's potential trade assets.

The Celtics have several rising young stars, including Brown, Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier, as well as the Sacramento Kings' 2019 first-round pick, which is protected only if it is No. 1 overall.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald seconded Washburn's report about Brown and added that the Celtics haven't made Tatum available in Leonard discussions.

Shortly after it was reported two weeks ago that Leonard wanted out of San Antonio, Wojnarowski reported that Leonard wanted to return home to L.A., with the Lakers being his preference.

While a healthy Leonard would be a huge addition to an already-talented Celtics team, they are operating from a position of strength.

Even if Boston doesn't acquire Leonard, a core comprised of Brown, Tatum, Rozier, Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford should be more than good enough to compete for championships.

Leonard is a two-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and one-time NBA Finals MVP, but his health is a question mark after appearing in just nine games last season due to a quad injury.

He can also become a free agent after the 2018-19 season, which means acquiring him would come with a great deal of risk for Boston if it isn't guaranteed that he will re-sign.