Three Players to Buy Heading Into the NBA Playoffs

The NBA postseason is already upon us, and while card markets for many players have already peaked, there are still a couple of NBA stars with high upside that are worth looking into.

Mar 8, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The NBA's regular season has just finished, and in a week, the official 2025-26 playoff picture will be complete as well. While some teams are still in the hunt for the final spots in their respective conferences, it's a waiting game for the rest of the qualified squads.

While waiting for playoff action to truly begin, it may be worth investing into a couple of players that could end up having historic playoff runs should the stars align.

LeBron James

One of LeBron James' most famous rookie cards comes from the 2003 Topps flagship set | CardLadder

At this point in time, LeBron James is by far one of the safest investments you could make. There's a saying in the Hobby that if you buy the GOATs you will never really lose, and LeBron happens to fall into that category.

There are so many LeBron cards out there, but every collector should really be looking into his rookie card market right now. Father time is undefeated, and it may just be a year or two left before the King takes that "L", but there's really nothing that can negatively affect this kind of market anymore.

The BGS 9 copy of his 2003-04 Topps RC #221 recently sold for $650, but ungraded versions can be purchased for almost half the price. His other rookie cards vary in price, but all follow the same general guidance: they're safe buys for any kind of collector.

Jayson Tatum

Tatum's comeback year could result in a massive spike for his card market should the Celtics win it all | CardLadder

A lot of Jayson Tatum's rookie cards are really affordable right now and arguably more than they should be. The Celtics' superstar came back from his Achilles injury late in the regular season and has just added to a really stacked Boston squad that's got a lot of sports media talking.

Should the Celtics do the improbable and turn their supposed "gap year" into a championship with Tatum at the forefront, then the narrative surrounding him will definitely change. His legacy would receive a massive bump and, given how passionate Boston's fans are, so would his overall card market.

Victor Wembanyama

For a lot of people, Victor Wembanyama's road to an MVP and a championship is inevitable | CardLadder

The time to buy into Victor Wembanyama's cards was yesterday, but if you haven't yet, then it might not be too late after all. You just need to dig a little deeper.

A huge narrative surrounding Wemby and the San Antonio Spurs is that they are going to win the NBA title soon, and their one-of-a-kind center is going to take the MVP honors doing it. This has been news for quite some time, and as a result, the hype has never died, but honestly, it doesn't seem like it's going away anytime soon, either.

Wembanyama's rookie cards, barring his base and non-numbered parallels, are already on the pricier side, so in this case it may be time to look towards his second-year options. The 2024-25 print run also happens to be the last time Panini had the NBA license, which will only make Wemby's second year cards more special as the years go by.