Zion Williamson is already a top-10 NBA asset

Some NBA team is about to win a literal lottery, and Zion Williamson is an all-time great prize

The 2019 NBA lottery is here at last. The whole charade is one of the NBA’s longest and weirdest traditions. Executives from 14 NBA teams will gather in a small room filled with ping pong balls, lucky charms, and nostalgia, and one by one, Adam Silver will open an envelope and read off the news that will shape NBA destinies forever.

It’s a superstars league, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, and Stephen Curry led their teams to the Conference Finals. Sure, there were big moments from role players, but it’s a star-driven league and the easiest way to get stars is to have a pick at the top of the draft. Not every number one pick is a superstar — just ask Anthony Bennett — but the top pick is the only way to get the super-duper-stars we anoint before they’re even in the league, guys like LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and Anthony Davis. Guys like Zion Williamson.

The right guy at number one changes everything. LeBron, Duncan, and Brow saved their franchises. Duncan and LeBron brought a championship home for the first time to their franchise. CNBC reports LeBron James was worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the Cleveland economy, and his presence on the team more than doubled the franchise value. When we call it an NBA “lottery,” the name is apt. Some NBA franchise…