Sleepers from the 2026 NBA Draft and Their Top Cards
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The NBA offseason is firmly underway. The first stop on that journey took place last week with the 2026 NBA Draft. The Draft was considered one of the better drafts both in terms of high-end talent and depth. The Draft was headlined by four players: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson.
As expected, those four players were drafted one through four, with the rest of the top ten players being taken mostly as expected. While those four will be the top chases in next year’s Topps products, I’ll be focusing this article on two players who were drafted later than expected in the first round and could end up being sleepers.
Guard Labaron Philon Jr., Philadelphia 76ers
Labaron Philon Jr. initially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft before deciding to return to Alabama to work on his game, and that decision seemed to have paid off at least in terms of his player development. Philon was asked to take on more of the offensive load at Alabama and responded accordingly with a superlative season. He developed into a true three-level scorer, while leading Alabama’s offense to the number three overall rank.
Despite his offensive output, he slid down draft boards and was eventually taken by the 76ers with the 22nd pick due to perceived defensive shortcomings, even though he played significantly better on the defensive end his freshman year.
Recent Card Sales
While his slide may be seen as a negative by fans and collectors, it could actually help in the long run. Despite landing on a playoff team, Philon’s offensive skill set should play well in Philly. In terms of his hobby market, Philon Bowman U autos are selling for a reasonable $35-$50 per Card Ladder. If he lives up to his offensive potential while rediscovering his defensive prowess, his market should rise accordingly.
Forward/Center Chris Cenac Jr., Boston Celtics
Chris Cenac was ranked by ESPN as the number seven overall recruit in the country prior to his freshman year at Houston. Cenac came into college with high marks for his athleticism and work ethic. His stated reason for going to Houston was that he wanted to be coached hard, which is why he chose to play for Kelvin Sampson. While his stats in his only season might not seem overly impressive, he was filling the role that was asked of him, specifically rebounding, which he did at a high level. This may have contributed to his slide to 27th overall, where he was taken by the Boston Celtics, who have the reputation for getting the most out of raw, talented players like Cenac.
Recent Card Sales
While Cenac does have some Topps autos on the market, unlike Philon, those autos were not in Bowman U. Specifically, his autos were limited to the Topps Chrome McDonald's All-American set released in 2025, with gold autos to 50 selling for a modest $50 per Card Ladder. Cenac, like Philon, did get a Topps NOW card including autos as part of the Topps NOW Draft Day releases. Cenac’s set did sell out, so collectors will have to monitor the secondary market if they want to buy one.
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