Kawhi Leonard wants to be traded, which means Danny Ainge will have another superstar to consider this offseason.
Leonard, an All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year with the Spurs, appeared in only nine games last year because of both a quad injury, and a season-long quarrel with management. That conflict came to a head on Friday with reports from Yahoo and ESPN that Leonard has requested a trade.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Leonard would prefer a trade to the Lakers, who could conceivably add fellow All-Stars LeBron James and Paul George this summer in the creation of another super-team.
Should the Celtics be interested? The 6-foot-7 Leonard would be a perfect fit here in a vacuum, thanks to his versatility on both ends of the floor, but missing virtually an entire season with a quad injury is a red flag, as is the inability to get along with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, one of the most accomplished coaches in NBA history.
Ainge isn't risk-averse, but acquiring Leonard -- especially at the cost of someone like injured star Gordon Hayward -- would push the envelope.