Report: Knicks, Kings, Celtics emerge as possible Kawhi suitors

The San Antonio Spurs' phone lines will be buzzing over the next few weeks in the wake of Kawhi Leonard's sudden reported trade demand.

Leonard's preference is reportedly to join the Los Angeles Lakers, or perhaps even the Clippers, but that won't stop other teams from making offers. Two suitors have emerged in the wake of these latest reports.

One to watch could be the Sacramento Kings, who have the No. 2 pick in next week's draft. The Kings are desperate for a marketable star, and they could gamble on Leonard, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports.

However, since Leonard can hit unrestricted free agency next summer, he'll have considerable sway over where he lands depending on his willingness to re-sign. For that reason, the New York Knicks could emerge as a trading partner given that Leonard has some interest in playing in the Big Apple, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.

The Boston Celtics are also planning to make a run at Leonard, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. San Antonio reportedly declined a trade package from the Celtics for Leonard before February's deadline, but Boston will try again.

According to Wojnarowski, the Spurs won't be inclined to help the Lakers despite limited leverage, and will instead look to the Celtics, who could return a better trade package.

The 26-year-old Leonard averaged 25.5 points and was an MVP candidate in 2016-17, but was limited to just nine games this past season with a quad injury. The disagreement over his rehab plan ultimately led to a fallout between Leonard and the Spurs.