Kawhi Leonard wants out of San Antonio, according to multiple reports, and no team is better poised to steal him away from the Spurs than the Boston Celtics.

Whether they decide to go all-in to acquire him is another question altogether, especially with LeBron James headed to the Los Angeles Lakers.

ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last Thursday that the Spurs "have long been most intrigued with Boston's trade assets," which include multiple future first-round picks along with young stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and veterans such as Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. However, "it remains unclear how rich of a package the Celtics are willing to offer without a full understanding of the long-term implications of Leonard's quadriceps injury, or an assurance that they can be certain of Leonard's willingness to consider a long-term commitment next summer," according to Wojnarowski.

Reports from Celtics beat writers likewise cast doubt on the likelihood of Leonard heading to Boston this summer.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported last Wednesday that "it's not believed the Celts are willing to move" either Tatum or Brown. Their willingness to include the Sacramento Kings' top-one-protected 2019 first-round pick - the one they acquired from Philadelphia last summer in the deal to move down from No. 1 to No. 3 - "likely is dependent on the sides getting serious enough to allow the C’s permission to speak with Leonard, gauge his interest in Boston and check his medical information," Bulpett added.

Wojnarowski and his ESPN.com colleagues Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne reported last Wednesday that the Celtics were "among the teams who have made offers to the Spurs for Leonard," but those conversations don't appear to be far along at the moment. Meanwhile, Celtics president Danny Ainge poured cold water last Friday on the likelihood of his team getting involved in a blockbuster this summer.

"If I feel like it'll help our team - we explore every trade of players of certain magnitude or superstar, first-ballot Hall of Fame-type of players," Ainge told reporters. "We're going to take a look and kick the tires and see if there's something there. But that's all. I think those things are unlikely."

Whether the Celtics should or shouldn't pursue Leonard likely comes down to the Spurs' asking price, but there's a case to be made either way.

The case against trading for Leonard

Since James is planning to sign with the Lakers once the moratorium period ends Friday, the Celtics could reasonably decide trading for Leonard isn't worth the price they'd have to pay. With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving back in the fold next season, Boston will be the overwhelming favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference and earn a date against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, even without Leonard.

Trading a long-term rotation piece such as Brown for Leonard would be fraught with risk, especially if he gives no indication that he's willing to re-sign with the Celtics in 2019. And according to Wojnarowski, Leonard is still hoping to join the Lakers either this summer or next.

With the Lakers having also agreed to hand out one-year deals to Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and JaVale McGee, they've done their part to keep enough salary-cap space free for Leonard next July. If he's insistent on joining James in L.A., no team can prevent him from doing so.

Thus, the Celtics may view Leonard largely as a one-year rental unless he expresses an openness to consider re-signing with them. According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, they've received no such assurances as of yet.

During a Tuesday appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania said (via RealGM), "there's not much interest in the Boston Celtics scenario" for Leonard, which further casts doubt over whether he'd stay beyond the 2018-19 season.

Between the risk of Leonard leaving after one year and the uncertainty surrounding his health after he played only nine games this season due to a mysterious quadriceps injury, the risk of trading for him may outweigh the reward for Boston. With DeMarcus Cousins now joining the Warriors, the Celtics could feel as though they have little chance of winning the championship this year regardless of whether they stand pat or acquire Leonard.

Trading for Leonard wouldn't necessarily be only a one-year play, though.

The case for trading for Leonard

By trading for Leonard, the Celtics would acquire his Bird rights, which would allow them to offer him one more year on his next deal and higher annual raises than any other suitor could. They'd also be allowed to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him, which is particularly vital with Horford and Hayward already signed to max deals and Irving likely to follow suit next summer.

Even if they didn't win the title with Leonard on board this year, no team outside of Golden State projects to be as much of a Finals mainstay over the next half-decade as the Celtics. Leonard, who already won one ring with the Spurs in 2014 and lost in a seven-game classic against James and the Miami Heat the year prior, may find the taste of perennial title contention too intoxicating to leave next summer.

To some degree, the Paul George situation should loom large in the Celtics' minds, as the parallels between him and Leonard are difficult to ignore.

Much like Leonard, rumors began to circulate about his desire to join the Lakers a full year before he was set to become a free agent. The Oklahoma City Thunder, undeterred by the threat of George turning into a one-year rental, shipped Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to the Indiana Pacers for him last June. The gamble paid off, as George agreed Sunday to re-sign with the Thunder on a four-year, $137 million max contract, according to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Boston and/or other Leonard suitors may be emboldened by George's decision to stay in Oklahoma City, as NBA.com's David Aldridge suggested.

The two situations aren't completely analogous, however, as both George and Leonard have their own reasons for reportedly wanting to join the Lakers. Whereas George "always wanted to go to L.A. because he was a local kid and would enjoy playing back home," according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, "Leonard’s desire to go to the Lakers is driven, in part, by an appreciation of home, but it is also fueled by his agents, who want to maximize Leonard’s exposure, especially before his contract with the Jordan Brand is up at the end of September."

While joining James on the Lakers would bolster Leonard's off-court profile, moving to a title contender in Boston should likewise do favors to his national brand. On the Celtics, he could avoid the inevitable drama that comes with being on a James-led team - complete with Arthur memes and passive-aggressive subtweets alike - as the likes of Irving, Hayward and Tatum would share the spotlight with him. Rather than becoming a subplot on Ball in the Family upon joining the Lakers, Leonard could go about his business in Boston with as much or little public exposure as so desired.

Beyond wanting to add Leonard for their own sake, the Celtics could likewise be motivated to keep him away from their chief rival in the East, the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers have been openly lusting after stars this summer, and during a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Marc Stein of the New York Times said they "badly want" Leonard. According to Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated, Philly's front office has "presented team ownership with several trade scenarios for discussion," largely revolving around Dario Saric, Robert Covington and future first-round picks.

Leonard has familiarity with Sixers head coach Brett Brown dating back to the early 2010s when they were both in San Antonio, and Fischer reported "it is believed Leonard and Brown maintain a good relationship." Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News reported Leonard "would entertain the possibility" of re-signing with the Sixers next summer if they do trade for him, which could further encourage them to get a deal done this summer.

If the Sixers acquire Leonard and he re-signs with them next summer, their triumvirate of him, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons could be a roadblock for the Celtics over the next half-decade. As Boston weighs whether to pony up for Leonard, it must factor in the threat of Philadelphia acquiring him, too.

What should they offer?

If the Celtics do decide to pursue Leonard seriously, they can appeal to whatever the Spurs hope to accomplish in such a trade. Whether it's win-now veterans, promising young prospects or future draft considerations, the Celtics have all three in spades.

According to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe, the Spurs "have indicated to at least some teams that they would prefer to remain competitive" after trading Leonard, even though a full-fledged rebuild might be the better long-term play. With head coach Gregg Popovich likely nearing the end of his legendary career, San Antonio may want to give him one or two more 50-win sendoffs rather than saddling him with a bunch of teenagers.

Dangling Irving in Leonard negotiations would make sense from the Celtics' perspective, as he's likewise set to become a free agent in 2019 and may also be a flight risk from Boston. If the Spurs truly aren't ready to plunge into a full-fledged rebuild, a trade involving a multi-time All-Star in Irving along with future draft considerations - the Celtics could own as many as four first-round picks in 2019 - could pique San Antonio's interest.

Conversely, the Spurs may instead decide they're better off pillaging the Celtics' collection of young talent. While Tatum figures to be untouchable, Brown could be the swing piece in any negotiations. Lowe laid out why the Celtics should be reluctant to move him, barring Leonard effectively agreeing to re-sign with them next summer, but the upside could justify the enormous risk.

The Celtics are under no pressure to make a move for Leonard, as re-signing Marcus Smart and otherwise standing pat should still put them on the pathway toward 60 wins and a Finals berth. Depending on the Spurs' asking price, that may be the prudent path. But if Boston does decide to go all-in on Leonard, we may want to hold off anointing Golden State as the predetermined 2019 NBA champions for the time being.