NBA Stars and cards to follow for Wemby, Luka and Brunson
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The start of any major sports season brings excitement for fans, but for card collectors, it also brings a unique sense of anticipation. The beginning of a season is when months of speculation start to take shape, and the market begins to react. Offseason questions about which players are undervalued, overhyped, or ready to break out will soon be answered. So as the new year of NBA basketball tips- off, here are three players collectors are eagerly watching.
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1. Victor Wembanyama
One of the most closely watched players by collectors is Victor Wembanyama. But his hype and momentum cooled after he was sidelined with a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis late in the year. Now fully recovered, Wembanyama heads into his second season with collectors once again showing strong excitement for his cards, with some like his PSA 10 White Sparkle Prizm rookie up over 50 percent since last year. Historically, big men haven’t performed well in the card market, but that trend hasn’t seemed to matter so far with Wembanyama. Will he defy the odds and sustain the kind of pricing usually reserved for guards, or follow the Zion trend and see a crash in his card values he can’t recover from?
The card sold for $20,802.22 (Aug 3, 2024) a year ago. It's up 52.96% ($11,016.78) and has sold 2 times since.https://t.co/Hm3Ufm0anJ#TheHobby #SportsCards #BasketballCards pic.twitter.com/1TKwcUUziy
— Card Ladder (@CardLadder) October 7, 2025
2. Luka Doncic
Another player with all eyes on him is Luka Doncic. He’s been a perennial MVP favorite for years, and you could easily argue he should already have one. He’s faced plenty of criticism for how he takes care of his body, but after a hard-working offseason, he enters the year in the best shape of his life. Collectors have taken notice, with interest in his cards rising again as the new season begins, the most notable sale being his rookie Flawless Logoman 1-of-1 that sold for $4.7 million. The question now is whether it will be enough for him to get the recognition he deserves and if the Lakers can compete with the roster they have around him.
:// Generate —> #CardLadder #RecentSale
— Card Ladder (@CardLadder) October 11, 2025
Recent Sale: The 2018-19 Flawless Luka Doncic Logoman Autograph 1/1 sold for $4,700,000 via Private Sale on September 26, 2025.https://t.co/Hm3Ufm0anJ#TheHobby #SportsCards #BasketballCards pic.twitter.com/UeH4yj55H2
3. Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson has also had his share of attention this offseason, with his card prices rebounding after the Knicks’ playoff exit last year, as can be seen in the following chart from Card Ladder, a popular platform for tracking trading card values.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined by an Achilles injury, the Eastern Conference looks more open than it has in years, and Brunson has already proven he can carry a heavy load. The only question left is whether he and the Knicks can take advantage of the opportunity.
Jason is a dedicated basketball card collector who recently transitioned into writing and educating others about the sports card industry. Find him on Instagram @jeancardz