NBA Season Preview: 4 Young Vets Collectors Can’t Ignore in 2025
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With the NBA season only a few weeks away, smart collectors aren’t just chasing rookies. A handful of young vets are poised to explode on the court and in the hobby. Below are four of the most promising veteran prospects.
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Entering his 5th season, Jalen Johnson looks like he could be the real deal IF he’s truly back to 100% and can stay that way for a full season. Johnson is an incredible athlete with the potential to drop 20+ points and grab 10+ rebounds any night he suits up, but suiting up has been the problem.
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Last year his season was cut short due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but in the 36 games he played he was having a terrific year, averaging 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting 50% overall and 31.2% from deep.
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At only 23 years old and with reports claiming he’s fully healthy this year, his cards could be great value grabs. To date, the highest selling Jalen Johnson card was a 2021-22 National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph Logoman which sold for $40K last September and which sold again a few days ago for $36.6K. Other than his 1-of-1 Logoman, no Johnson card has topped $8K.
Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
Over the course of the past three seasons, Pritchard has seen his minutes more than double and his points nearly triple as he continues to gain confidence coming off the Boston bench. He’s a crafty player with the ball, has a high basketball IQ, shoots 40% from deep, and vibes incredibly well with starting guard Derrick White (both dropped 40+ in a game last season).
Plus, no team embraces the “live by the three, die by the three” mentality more than the Celtics and Pritchard is a huge benefactor of that style. With Tatum out for the season and Holiday no longer on the roster, it’s pretty clear that Pritchard will start. And yes, Anfernee Simons will be battling for that spot, but Pritchard will win out.
Pritchard cards have never exceeded the $10K mark, but I don’t see that holding for long. Currently his highest selling card is a 2020 Panini National Treasures Autograph Logoman (1/1) which sold for $8.4K back in October, 2024.
As long as Jaylen Brown doesn’t obsess too much over the 'Star Player' narrative, Pritchard should shine and his cards could see some steady upward momentum.
Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder looked a bit shaky in the NBA Finals but they got the job done when it mattered, thanks to MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and, in large part, their #2 option, Jalen Williams. While SGA gets most of the spotlight, Williams is emerging as an offensive powerhouse in his own right.
He dominated in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals, putting up 40 points to give the Thunder the 3-2 series lead and becoming the 3rd youngest player to score 40+ points in a Finals game.
His high-end card prices were hot over the summer, with three sales topping $20K, including his highest selling card of all time, a 2022-23 Panini Prizm Gold (7/10) with a PSA 10 grade which sold for $52.5K back on June 28, 2025.
If the Thunder can own the West again and if Williams keeps doing what he’s been doing, Williams hobby stock could easily climb higher.
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trailblazers
Shaedon Sharpe is entering his 4th year in the league and his performance so far has been great at times, but inconsistent. The Trailblazers had high hopes when they selected him in 2022 with their 7th overall pick, and he got fans buzzing when put on a clinic scoring 25+ points in three straight games, the first Blazer rookie to do that in over 40 years.
However, he fell off the map during his sophomore season, playing only 32 games after undergoing abdominal surgery in February. Last season he was Portland’s 2nd leading scoring averaging 18.5 points per game, just behind Anfernee Simons. Sharpe is still only 21 years old and is one of the most explosive players in the NBA. If he can pull his 3-point percentage back up into the mid-30s, lock in on defense, and be more consistent night in and night out, then he could emerge as the Blazers go-to option.
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His hobby ceiling right now is $50K from the sale of 2022-23 Black Panini Prizm Rookie (1/1) last September. His next highest selling card drops down to $26.8K, and he only has 6 cards selling for $10K or more.
Sharpe is a great high risk high reward option if you believe he becomes the breakout star for the Blazers this season.
For collectors and fans alike, these four represent the sweet spot of on-court upside and strong potential heading into the 2025-26 season.
Conor is a life long sports card enthusiast who started collecting in the early ’90s, inspired by hometown heroes like Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz. Like many ’90s hoops fans, he also started building (and continues to build) a modest Michael Jordan collection.