Zion Williamson is arguably the biggest prospect to come out of college since Anthony Davis. But despite this draft lottery being one of the most important ever, there is still a chance that a team might have the gall to pass on him.

According to Sports Illustrated, the Phoenix Suns are viewed as the one team that “could best rationalize” passing on Zion. Per the report, the Suns have a gaping hole at guard, and might be inclined to fill that hole with Murray State superstar Ja Morant.

Morant is widely seen as the second-best overall player in the 2019 NBA Draft. He had a remarkable sophomore season for the Racers that included a historic triple-double in the NCAA Tournament.

Even with that need, though, the Suns would likely go with Zion:

There isn’t a great argument for anyone else ahead of him, although Murray State point guard Ja Morant comes with a whole lot of upside, and Williamson’s Duke teammate R.J. Barrett was generally viewed as the draft’s top prospect coming into the season. While there’s always the philosophical question of need versus prioritizing top talent, at this point, the optics of not taking Williamson first overall would be a negative for any rebuilding franchise. The team that could best rationalize passing on him would be the point guard-needy Suns (for whom Morant would be a perfect fit); conversely, Williamson’s simple presence on the floor will move tickets and generate the type of buzz no other player could create.

Of course, the far more conventional wisdom than passing on Zion would be to draft him and let every other team make increasingly ridiculous offers for him.

If Phoenix could get a deal on for Zion par with that infamous Boston-Brooklyn trade in 2013, the team could really start to build something sustainable.

The Suns have not made the playoffs since 2010, and have not topped 25 wins in the past four seasons.

Nevertheless, when a historic talent like Zion Williamson becomes available, it would not be wise to simply pass on him when so many general managers would sell their own organs to land him.

[Sports Illustrated]