Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey's Basketball Card Preview
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With the 2025 NBA Draft in the rearview mirror, the NBA, fans, and collectors now ready for Summer League and the chance to get a first-look at the newest NBA players. While we wait to see the rookies in action in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas, let's take a look at three of the most highly-touted draft picks, and how their roles in their new franchises could impact their card market.
Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
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Cooper Flagg is an interesting case. On the one hand, he's the top pick in the draft, selected by a Dallas Mavericks team that should be competitive right away. He's considered by many to be a generational talent, far closer to the potential of the likes of Victor Wembanyama, then say, last year's top pick Zaccharie Risacher. On the other, Flagg is already something of a Hobby superstar. He played for nationally-popular Duke in his one year in college, and received a ton of hype and buzz throughout the season. He's already had 23 card sales of $10,000 or more, per Card Ladder. This 2024 Bowman Chrome 1/1 sold for $60,000 in the days following the draft.
We know that the noise around Flagg will only grow as he begins his rookie season, and playing in Dallas could give him the opportunity to see some major minutes in big spots, including postseason play. But, a couple of things to consider. One, just how much is the 18-year old Flagg ready to impact winning at the pro level. As the Mavericks await the return of Kyrie Irving, Flagg may be counted on to be a huge piece right away. How he handles the transition to the NBA will be key, and it will be happening under a microscope. Two, just how high can he go? We've already seen some massive sales, and a ton of interest in Flagg. He's going to enter the NBA card market, when the time comes, at a massive premium.
Of course, if you're lucky enough to pull a big Flagg NBA RC, congratulations, it's going to move for a ton, even if you move it quickly. Flagg's 2024 Topps Chrome McDonald's All American Half-Court Offense 1/1 Auto sold for over $85,000. It's almost certain that top-end Flagg cards will fetch six figures from get-go.
Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
To give a sense of just how high Flagg towers over the rest of his draft class when it comes to The Hobby, look to the top sales of Dylan Harper, the second overall pick. Since the draft, Card Ladder has registered 7 of the top nine Harper card sales of all-time. Six of those are auto cards he shares with Flagg. Only one of the sales is for a solo Harper card, his Bowman Best Superfractor 1/1, which went for $3,450 on June 27.
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Harper's fit with San Antonio is an intriguing one. While he could team up for the next decade with potential future MVP Victor Wembanyama, and form one of the top duos in the league, for now the picture is a little muddied. Harper joins what is a crowded backcourt alongside huge midseason acquisition (and star in his own right) De'Aaron Fox, and 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle. Harper has a ton of talent, skill, and value, but he's not a particularly great shooter yet. Spacing issues could be a problem in the early going. Also, Fox did not co-exist all that well with now-Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
Fox or Castle could yet be on the move, but for now that seems more like chatter. While they figure it out, there could be growing pains early. Long term, Harper should absolutely become a major player in the league.
Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
Ace Bailey was the great mystery of the Class of 2025. A player with superstar potential, his draft process cooled some organizations on the talented youngster. He refused workouts, and was seen to be trying to get himself to places like Brooklyn and Washington. Undeterred, Danny Ainge went ahead and selected Bailey to Utah with the fifth pick anyway. While it appears Bailey will report, it will remain a story around the rookie at least through training camp and summer league ball.
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Just like Harper, Bailey's biggest card sales have come with Flagg's auto attached to them. There have been some four-figure solo card sales, including a Bowman U NOW auto sneaker relic numberedt to 5, which sold for $1,700 back in March.
While Bailey may not have preferred the Jazz as a destination, there's still a chance, from a fit perspective, for Bailey to become the early star of this class. If Utah does choose to build around the uber-athletic wing, there should be plenty of usage for the scorer from the minute he steps onto an NBA court. Some big scoring nights early, flashing his evident potential, could see Bailey and his cards rise as the next NBA season unfolds.
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.
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