In the world of prospect analyzation, athleticism is gold. And Zion Williamson epitomizes the supreme athlete, making him the best prospect in an elite recruiting pool.
You can’t help but be glass-half-full on Willamson, yet, not all NBA rosters could welcome him with open arms. In a league with flexing egos and an emphasis on performance, it’s absurd to think everyone should voluntarily take a back seat for an 18-year old. Not to mention the offensive and defensive changes needed to cater to his dominant approach.
Then Dallas comes to the table.
The Mavs are perennial losers sitting helplessly in the basement of the Western Conference. They’ve drafted Euro League MVP Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. in 2017 an ’18 respectively, and will likely have a top-three pick this season per NBADraft.net. Their franchise backcourt is fixed for the next decade with Doncic and Smith, but their frontcourt is without a long-term asset as DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Powell, and Harrison Barnes all have expiring contracts after this season.
Enter Zion Williamson.
The Mavericks will likely be in an ideal draft position to either pick him outright or trade up with potential lottery picks or assets. Williamson would appeal to their front office not only for basketball reasonings but the revenue inflation that would come with him. Jersey and ticket sales would skyrocket regardless of team success.
Updated roster (With Zion) assuming all players re-sign:
PG: Dennis Smith Jr.
SG: Luka Doncic
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Zion Williamson
C: DeAndre Jordan
Image source: https://ukfansallday.com/2018/01/03/youtube-sensation-zion-williamson-sets-college-destination-date/
