Four thoughts on the Kawhi Leonard trade request and the Celtics' potential pursuit

Any attempts to mend fences between Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs this week have been unsuccessful, as multiple reports indicate the All-Star forward is requesting a trade out of San Antonio. His preference is reportedly to land with the Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com, but the Celtics also are expected to inquire about his availability, just as they did at the trade deadline.

Leonard only played nine games last season as he battled a quad injury that sidelined him throughout the regular season. Reports of a fractured relationship with the Spurs emerged as early as last January and only intensified as the weeks wore on during the regular season. Wojnarowski reported that Leonard and Gregg Popovich were planning on a sitdown this week and it is unclear if that took place. It's not even certain whether Leonard has notified the team of his trade request yet.

Leonard has one guaranteed year left on his current contract at $20.1 million and a player option in the summer of 2019 that he is sure to opt out of in order to secure a much higher annual salary (30 percent of the salary cap) in the summer of 2019. Here are a few thoughts on these developments and how Leonard's availability may or may not impact Boston's plans for this summer and beyond:

1. Leonard is no longer eligible for a supermax contract once he gets traded: Only the team that drafts a player or acquires him on his rookie deal can offer a player a supermax deal if he meets the criteria. Leonard was eligible for the supermax this June (due to awards that he won last season). He will forfeit the ability to get one if he's moved here. Sacrificing tens of millions clearly isn't an issue to him compared to the fresh start he seeks.

2. Leonard has put San Antonio in a brutal spot here: This is a nightmare scenario for Popovich and the Spurs brass. They have an aging core that is on the decline for the most part (outside of Leonard), so losing the cornerstone of the franchise leaves them as a middling playoff team that may be better off rebuilding. They will need to hit a home run with Leonard's trade return to bounce back, but the prospect of that is challenging when his suitors know he is a flight risk next summer. Additionally, the Spurs can't afford to let him walk in free agency for nothing and that will work against them in negotiations. Combined with reasonable questions about his durability, and it's going to be tough for the Spurs to get close to equal value for the 27-year-old.

3. Leonard wants to go to LA, but that won't matter to the Spurs: The Lakers have been clearing their books for free agency this summer, leaving them with very few assets on the roster that could intrigue the Spurs in a potential deal. The most appealing pieces (Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram) are all on rookie deals, but no one in that group is a surefire All-Star over the long-term. Ball comes with his own set of headaches (i.e. LaVar Ball) that the Spurs probably don't want to deal with.  Additionally, the Lakers may not be eager to put all of those pieces on the table anyway when they can just chase Leonard in free agency next summer. It will be an interesting game of chicken for both sides to see who blinks on their demands. With the additional backdrop of LeBron James and/or Paul George potentially signing in Los Angeles, the Spurs front office may ultimately decide whether another super team gets formed in California. If the Lakers want to land all three big names, Leonard needs to be acquired via trade before free agency. The prospect of so many great names heading West would certainly help the Celtics' goal of getting to the NBA Finals for the foreseeable future, but that's another roadblock to a title.

4. Does it make sense for the Celtics to get seriously involved here? On the surface, there is plenty of reason for Boston to proceed with caution. Leonard reportedly wants to go West, he can walk in free agency next summer and he has other red flags (injury risk) attached to him. Still, the Celtics have more than enough assets to get involved and Leonard may be the best player available to them on the trade market for the foreseeable future (depending on if/when Anthony Davis ever becomes available over the next few years). While Paul George had fewer injury risks, his entire situation was similar to Leonard's and that did not stop the Celtics from getting involved with multiple trade proposals for him last summer. When you factor that in with the prospect of the Spurs potentially wanting to ship Leonard to the East (in the same way Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard intentionally traded George out West), this situation bears watching. It will come down to asking price, as always and in what regard the Spurs front office holds the C's prospects. Would Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, salary filler and a future lottery pick get the job done or is that too much for Boston to sacrifice? Would the C's feel confident enough that they can entice Leonard to stay long-term? These questions should be hotly debated in the Celtics offices for the upcoming weeks.

The safe play here is for the Celtics to stand pat. However, Ainge has never been afraid to gamble. He likes proven commodities, and there aren't many better ones out there than Leonard. The Celtics can outbid pretty much anyone for Leonard if they want to. Will the C's be happy to watch him land in LA and stay on their current growth path? Or will they see another super team formation in Hollywood as a long-term obstacle that's worth putting a stop to?

We should have our answer in the next couple weeks.