Kawhi Leonard Trade Rumors: Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz Haven't Been Offered

Neither Philadelphia 76ers point guard Markelle Fultz nor Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown have reportedly been offered to the San Antonio Spurs in ongoing trade discussions surrounding superstar Kawhi Leonard.

On Thursday, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reported the Sixers' and Celtics' hesitancy showcases teams' desire to receive "reassurances about Leonard's health and chances of re-signing" before including key assets in their proposals.

San Antonio is in a difficult spot.

The 27-year-old Los Angeles native is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract and can decline a player option in the deal to become a free agent after the 2018-19 campaign.

A lingering quad injury also limited him to nine games last season. His decision to leave the team to rehab in New York City without providing a clear timetable for his return appeared open a larger rift with the franchise, with head coach Gregg Popovich often referencing the small forward's "group."

"You'll have to ask Kawhi and his group that question [about his availability]," Popovich told reporters in April. "So far, they say that he's not ready to go, so we can't do anything until that happens…and then we would have to decide what's going on from there. But that's the first thing that has to happen."

While teams such as the 76ers and Celtics have interest, Leonard has maintained his desire for a return to his hometown to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

In turn, it would be difficult for Philly or Boston to part with important pieces of their roster or future for a player who's coming off a serious injury and will likely serve as a one-year rental. Brown was the third overall pick in the 2016 draft, and Fultz was the No. 1 choice in the 2017 draft.

The Lakers could also wait until next summer to pursue Leonard as an unrestricted free agent rather than giving up multiple pieces of their core to acquire him to team with LeBron James. Waiting would put L.A. in better position to contend for a title in 2019-20 and beyond.

So the question becomes whether the Spurs are willing to accept less than market value for a player who's an MVP candidate when healthy or if they'll wait until next season's trade deadline to see if the situation changes.