The Boston Celtics are one of the teams that are reportedly going after Kawhi Leonard. That may sound great, but this move may be a bad idea.
Lebron James was expected to be the talk of the NBA offseason, but now he has to share the spotlight with Kawhi Leonard. The current San Antonio Spur wants out and is demanding a trade and the Boston Celtics are looking to acquire him.
Leonard was one of the best players in the NBA and still might be. He is a quality defender, a great scorer, and an athletic freak. Leonard seemed like Gregg Popovich’s perfect creation, but apparently not everything is well in San Antonio.
The player that the Celtics are looking to acquire may not be there anymore. Leonard sat almost the entire season and we have no idea what kind of player he is.
With that in mind here are 3 reasons why the Boston Celtics should stay away from Kawhi Leonard.
1. Injury concerns
Ever since that fateful night in Oakland, something has been off with Leonard. He suffered when he landed on Zaza Pachulia’s foot.
Leonard’s injury report is a mile long and you have to wonder if it is worth trading for a guy if he can’t stay healthy. Kawhi can’t do a lot if he is sitting on the bench. Leonard has played 7 seasons in the NBA and played in 70 games or more a mere two times.
The Celtics may be thinking of the Kawhi of yesteryear and that player may not even exist. Leonard may not be the explosive player he once was.
Plain and simply after the wild season that Leonard had, it is rather dangerous to give away a great player. You will be hoping that he is still the same player and that sadly might not be the case. Making a move for Kawhi Leonard is too risky.
2. Character flaws?
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The reason why Leonard’s season was so crazy was because he was expected to play. Leonard only played in 11 games and as the season progressed rumors continued to swirl. Reports came out that Leonard and the Spurs relationship was souring.
Leonard demanded a trade in part because he was angry, and felt betrayed by the Spurs. He was cleared by team doctors but said that he wasn’t ready to play. Leonard also got a second opinion and the team wasn’t happy.
Now this isn’t with some terrible organization. It’s with the San Antonio Spurs. They are known as being one of the best organizations in sports. Gregg Popovich is dare I say the Bill Belichick of the NBA. If Leonard can’t cooperate with “Pop” and the Spurs how will he get along in Boston?
It seems like Leonard may have some character issues and that could lead to some problems if he did land in Boston.
3. The cost
If the Celtics do want to go after Kawhi Leonard it is going to cost them a lot. The Celtics are going to have to trade away Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum or a premier player like Kyrie Irving.
The Celtics would be stupid to trade Kyrie. He is the best player on the roster. Irving became a more complete player in his first season in Boston. He was a much better defender, and just imagine what he can do with Gordon Hayward playing a full season.
Jayson Tatum should be untouchable, and definitely shouldn’t be traded for Leonard. In his rookie season, Tatum averaged 13.9 points and 5 rebounds. When Hayward got hurt, Tatum stepped up. In Leonard’s rookie season he only averaged 7.9 points.
You could argue that Tatum may eventually become a better player than Leonard.
Next: Boston Celtics: 3 players team should target this offseason
The Boston Celtics have a great group of players, and adding Kawhi Leonard may ruin the chemistry, and momentum that was built in the 2017-2018 season.