Preseason Top 30 Card Investments (The Countdown from 30 to 26)

With just a week before the start of the NBA season, we are here to help you with some ideas on players who are worth a longer look as short-term and long-term investments. These names have been featured in our last few episodes of the HOOPSANDCARDS podcast, and we wanted you to see the list here on the DOT COM as well. Without further delay, here are players ranked #30 to #26 in our countdown…

#30 – Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors (Rookie Cards in 2019-20) – Poole is no secret to basketball card collectors, and he will prove again this season that he can be a 20+ point scorer on another Warriors finals run. If Steph or Klay go down early in the season, look for Poole to make the Western Conference All-Star team. Poole is both a short-term investment to flip during the season or playoffs, and a long-term attraction because he should be a fixture in Golden State’s offense for the next decade. If I’m buying Poole, I’m getting PSA 10’s of the more affordable and less POP counted Select Silvers or Optic Holos from 2019-20.

#29 – Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies (Rookie Cards in 2020-21) – Bane lit it up last night in the preseason, and is one of the most reliable 3-point shooters in the league, entering just his third year. Sneaky investments on Desmond Bane would be to look for his Court Kings Level III or Level IV cards and have them graded. You can also still find his Silver Prizm 2020-21 rookies for $50 or less at most shows. Expect Bane to score a lot early in the season due to Jaren Jackson’s injury and Ziaire Williams’ struggles to find his role on the Grizzlies.

#28 – Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors (Rookies in 2021-22) – The reigning Rookie of the Year has already experienced huge popularity and price spikes in the card market. I like Barnes for the long-term, and if I was a Toronto fan or local I’d buy whatever I can get. But it’s hard to see this year as a breakout for Barnes, who shares the offensive load with at least four other prolific scorers in Toronto. A low-key move on Barnes would be to buy Donruss laser holos or choice cards that look like they could at least grade a 9, and grade them for a quick flip after a Barnes big night this season.

#27 – Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (Rookies in 2018-19) – Brunson is way more than a one-year wonder riding the coattails of Luka Doncic. Jalen now runs the offense in New York, a team that desperately needs his leadership, strength, and versatility. He will bring some of that Dallas culture and maturity to the Knicks, and is somehow still relatively unknown to general sports card people. You might find some opportunities to get in on PSA10’s, autos, RPA’s, and numbered cards of Brunson before everyone realizes that he’s now the leader of the Knicks.

#26 – Karl Anthony-Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves (Rookies in 2015-16) – It’s rare to see a Center on lists like these, because their values don’t rise quickly in the card market. But KAT is a safer exception, with less-available rookies from 2015-16 and way too much attention on his sidekicks like Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. But Towns drains threes constantly and will be at the forefront of a deeper Minnesota playoff run in the coming years. I think it’s safe to wait until March or early April to buy Towns rookies, and then flip them in mid-May after a big home win for the Wolves. There’s no need to buy and hold for the long-term, as Towns 2015-16 Prizm PSA 10’s will be very affordable once again next October. As a center, KAT’s cards might more closely track with the NBA season graph, where you can buy in the offseason and sell at the hype run-up to the season, and then do it again leading up to the playoffs.