Why You Should Stay Away from This Year's All-NBA Rookie Cards
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This year’s All-NBA Rookie Class hasn’t proven to be all that impressive. From a performance and collecting standpoint, it seems to rank among the weaker ones in recent years. The players named to the team haven’t generated the kind of hype or shown the potential that usually drives demand for rookie cards. This makes the class all the more disappointing, given that it's expected to be the final season of NBA-licensed Panini cards, which should give their sets some historical significance. Unfortunately, the lack of superstars is making it a year to forget for collectors.
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1. Stephon Castle
The Rookie of the Year and the best player in this class, Stephon Castle averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.8 percent from the field, 28.5 percent from three, and 72.4 percent from the free throw line. Castle does seem to have what it takes to become a solid player, especially because he shows promise as a defender. However, with Victor Wembanyama firmly established as the star on that team and with the recent acquisition of De’Aaron Fox, there are understandable questions about whether Castle will get enough opportunity to develop. There’s also speculation he could be included in a trade package to a team that isn’t contending.
2. Zaccharie Risacher
Zacharie Risacher averaged 12.6 points, 1.2 assists, and 3.6 rebounds this season; not exactly what you’d hope for from a number one overall pick. On top of that, the Hawks don’t seem to be making much progress, and big men generally don’t hold as much value in the sports card market, making Risacher’s outlook even less promising for collectors.
Anyone we took at 1 was gonna feel like a bad pick, cause it’s a bad draft.
— Shereef Sakr (@ShereefKeef) June 27, 2024
Best option was trading back but no one was biting.
No idea if Risacher is a bust or not until the action starts so for now we just gotta trust the vision and hope it works out… at least he wants to… https://t.co/1hqLPxPEb5
3. Jaylen Wells
How someone can average 10 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds and still receive three first-place Rookie of the Year votes is hard to understand. Jaylen Wells has shown some promising stretches (particularly on defense), but projecting his role going forward isn’t easy. Grizzlies collectors seem to be chasing Ja Morant, with some interest in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane. Will Wells be popular enough to overshadow any of them and convince collectors to focus on him? That seems unlikely.
4. Zach Edey
Zach Edey averaged fewer than 10 points and less than an assist per game, which just isn’t going to cut it for a center, even with over 7 rebounds a night. He looks like he can be a solid player with clear strengths, but from a card value standpoint, that only goes so far. Unless you're a generational talent like Nikola Jokic, it’s tough for centers to hold strong long-term value in the hobby. Just ask Dwight Howard or Rudy Gobert.
5. Alex Sarr
Alex Sarr averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, which is nothing to sneeze at for a rookie. The issue is that he landed with the Wizards, a team that continues to struggle and hasn’t shown much direction. Unless Sarr either finds his way out of Washington or somehow manages to turn the franchise around, it’s going to be hard for his cards to hold value. On top of that, he’s a 7-footer, and as mentioned earlier, collectors generally don’t gravitate toward big men unless they’re truly special.
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