Two teams that have been mentioned in NBA rumors as possibly making a trade for the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard are the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. There have been some rumors floating around about possible packages offered to San Antonio. As Sixers' and Celtics' fans know, a few players are off the table when it comes to a trade discussion. A recent report suggests that two of those players are Markelle Fultz and Jaylen Brown.

Sixers' Fultz not included in talks

It's quite obvious that the Philadelphia 76ers won't part ways with their two main stars.

That means Joel Embiid and Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons are clearly off the table in terms of a trade. However, a recent report via ESPN suggests that last year's No. 1 pick, Markelle Fultz, may also be off limits.

ESPN's Zach Lowe says Fultz has not been mentioned in the trade talks with the Spurs. He also suggests that if Philadelphia doesn't land Kawhi Leonard in a trade, they'll have $40 million in cap space ready for next offseason. That gives them some room to work with in terms of next summer's free agency class.

As far as Markelle Fultz goes, it has yet to be shown whether he will be a benefit for the Sixers to keep or not. The team looked pretty good with him sidelined, as Ben Simmons began to become the floor general the front office had envisioned.

Along with All-Star Joel Embiid, and help from the likes of JJ Redick, Rodney Covington, and Dario Saric, the 76ers seem to have a great roster, even if Fultz doesn't play for them. However, he still has the potential to be a great player.

If Fultz can turn into the type of star player other No.

1 picks have been, the Philadelphia Sixers will be happy to have kept him around. He may even give them that added "star" they need to dominate the East without any need for Leonard.

Celtics' Brown also not included

The Boston Celtics seem intent on keeping key players on their roster. They nearly made it to the 2018 NBA Finals, even with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward on the shelf due to injuries.

One player who helped the team compete was Jaylen Brown. ESPN's Lowe mentioned that Brown was also not discussed in trade talks with the Spurs.

Lowe adds that the team might be better off with offering Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward before Brown, but that won't happen. These two stars can clearly put Boston into the 2019 NBA Finals and just might give them a serious shot at dethroning Golden State. Adding Leonard would help with that goal, but teams are still wary of his health situation just based on how things have played out in San Antonio.

In fact, one has to wonder why the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers would want Kawhi Leonard so badly. Both teams look like they'll be ruling the Eastern Conference for possibly the next five to 10 years.

Adding Kawhi Leonard would be sweet this season. It just doesn't seem necessary, as these two teams have yet to truly hit their potential with the rosters they have in place.

When it comes to the San Antonio Spurs, they're not just going to give Kawhi Leonard away either. Even the mighty Los Angeles Lakers, after adding LeBron James, are finding it tough to make a deal based on how much they need to give the Spurs in return.
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