Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge stuck to his guns during talks with the San Antonio Spurs for their estranged star Kawhi Leonard, choosing to offer a barrage of future assets instead of physical ones during conversations with the front office.
What was even more surprising was the number of players Ainge had to take off the negotiating table, as many as eight players — according to ESPN Insider Bobby Marks.
The Celtics had the young talents of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown off the table, while also keeping out their Big Three of Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, and Kyrie Irving, who they traded for last season.
Newly-signed guard Brad Wanamaker, Aron Baynes, and rookie Robert Williams were also held out of negotiations due to trade restriction stipulations, totaling eight players that they couldn't include in trade talks with the Spurs.
San Antonio opted to pursue a trade with the Toronto Raptors because they were able to include assets that would make them immediately competitive, rather than prospective future players who may not turn out to their favor.
Trading with Boston would also signify a likely chance at a lower first-round pick, given their place in the standings and the possibility to wind up in the bottom five of the first round — making it a rather unattractive offer for San Antonio for a player that is only a year removed from being a top-five talent in the NBA.
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