Luka Doncic Rookie Prizm Card Skyrockets in Value After Lakers Trade

As you probably already know, Luka Doncic was traded to the Lakers, leaving most Mavericks fans devastated. While Lakers fans have welcomed Luka with open arms, many Mavs supporters have held mock funerals for what they thought would be their franchise player. Whenever a trade of this magnitude happens, it sends shockwaves through the sports card collecting community, and this one was certainly no exception.
Luka Doncic to the Lakers: A Game-Changing Trade and Its Impact on the Hobby
A blaring impact was felt on Luka's flagship rookie card: the 2018 Silver Prizm. This iconic card nearly doubled in value overnight. Here's a screenshot from Card Ladder, a popular app used to track trading card values.
The chart above showcases Luka's Silver Prizm card in various grades and highlights just how quickly everything can change. A card that sold for around $1,000 just a few days ago is now selling for over $1,900.
SALE SPOTLIGHT: Featuring a Luka Dončić 2018 Panini Prizm Silver, graded PSA 10 (POP 2,369); sold for $1,850 with eBay this morning!
— Cardhedger (@cardhedger) February 3, 2025
It currently has an 80% gain (+$800) relative to its average sale a week ago, before the blockbuster trade that sent Luka to the Los Angeles… pic.twitter.com/gfZ4cROkua
Many collectors are using this moment to emphasize the often-overlooked volatility of the market, offering a lesson to buyers everywhere: be patient. This surge will eventually settle, and Luka's cards will fall back down in value. That said, Luka will continue to get plenty of media attention in this market, his highlights will be widely publicized, and this could very well be just the beginning.
Now, it’s important to note that in 99% of cases, the former is true. Hype drives cards to wild prices, which eventually settle. However, there’s something about Luka’s talent combined with the L.A. market that has collectors wondering if he could be the exception.