Celtics expected to aggressively pursue Kawhi Leonard

By Evan Massey | Mar 29, 2015

Mar 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) brings the ball up court during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Spurs 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Boston Celtics are looking to make a big splash this coming offseason, and are expected to aggressively pursue San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard.

Kawhi Leonard will be a restricted free agent this coming offseason, and quite a few teams are going to show interest in signing him. He’s an NBA Finals MVP, a rising star and a player who looks to be a guy you can build a franchise around thanks to his leadership and the Spurs system that he’s coming out of.

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According to a report from the Boston Globe, the Boston Celtics are one of the teams planning to pursue Leonard this offseason.

"Kawhi Leonard said he is 100 percent healthy again, giving the Spurs their most versatile player back for the stretch run. Leonard will be a restricted free agent this summer and will receive his share of offer sheets, likely including one from the Celtics. Boston coach Brad Stevens gushed about Leonard’s defensive prowess"

It isn’t a surprise to see that Brad Stevens was gushing about Leonard. Leonard is exactly the type of player that Stevens coached at Butler, and he would be a perfect fit in the type of system that the Celtics run. Not only would he be a huge upgrade for them defensively, he would also step in as one of the main offense focal points for the Celtics.

Leonard has been a budding star in San Antonio since his rookie season, and has averaged 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.

Those numbers are extremely impressive, and would look very nice on the Celtics’ roster. They need to make a splash this offseason with the improvement that they have made throughout the 2014-15 season. Stevens has coached his team to an impressive 32-40 record and they are currently the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

San Antonio is likely going to do whatever it takes to bring their young star back long-term. They will have the right to match any offer sheet that he signs, and it is nearly impossible to think of a way for a team to give him the type of offer that would make the Spurs even second guess matching it.

Boston would certainly be an ideal fit for him if he did end up leaving the Spurs, but that likely won’t happen. This is still intriguing news to think about, and the Celtics are going to be very aggressive when free agency opens up. There are plenty of other players outside of Leonard that fit what the Celtics are trying to do, and they will likely throw big offers at a few different players.

[H/T Boston Globe]

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