The calendar’s turned to 2025 and it’s time to figure out which basketball cards we should be investing in this year….
I’m going to run through a few different categories:
- Short-term targets to flip in the next few months
- Medium or long-term holds of great players with down pricing
- Rookies from last year’s class to keep an eye on
- Types of cards (brands, rarity, etc) to invest in 2025
- Hobby boxes to hold onto long-term
Let’s go!
What Are the Best Basketball Cards to Invest in 2025?
Short-Term Targets
Right now we’re going to be asking questions like this:
- Which teams are going to surprise people in the near future?
- Who’s going to take a leap in the regular season or make noise in the playoffs?
I have a few targets:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 2018 Prizm PSA 10
With the growth that SGA’s seen in pricing, I think you can’t lose at this point. If you want to sell, there’s profit to be had.
If you want to buy, I don’t think that’s a bad play either, as he’s on a team with legitimate title aspirations. Probably for the next 5 years at least, too.
Paolo Banchero | 2022 Prizm PSA 10
He started off strong (and so did the Magic) before their three best players suffered significant injuries. They’re still around .500—which is amazing—but collectors have taken their eyes of Paolo for the moment.
Medium or Long-Term Holds
Let’s talk about some players that have been around for a bit that have criminally underrated pricing!
LeBron James | 2003 Topps
With pricing relatively stead for the past bit, I don’t think it’s a bad time to jump in. Long-term, he’s pretty much always a good bet.
But for the short-term…well, he’s got Luka now along with legitimate title aspirations.
Or, worst case, wait until next season’s August bump in pricing and offload it.
Nikola Jokic | 2015-16 Prizm PSA 9
Here’s Giannis, the same card:
In no world should they be worth around the same.
It seems to me like Jokic is the one that will keep winning MVPs and championships in the next 5 years.
Recent Rookies to Keep an Eye On
I already mentioned Paolo, but here are a few others that I would certainly be looking to grab sooner than later:
- Jalen Williams – He’s the overlooked second banana on a team that’s probably going to win a championship in the next few years.
- Jabari Smith Jr – The third pick had an underwhelming rookie year and has yet to put up big stats. BUT… he’s improved a bit across the board. I doubt he’ll ever be a true star, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we see a bump in his production in the next 12 months.
- Brandon Miller – He’s shown a ton of promise, but has had injuries and been on a bad team. Look for him to bounce back big.
- Scoot Henderson – Had a notoriously bad rookie season, but is now showing some signs of life. Many young point guards struggle before figuring things out.
Types of Cards to Invest in 2025
Let’s do a quick rundown of what I’m seeing these days as far as good investments for newer players (since 2019 or so):
- Choose High Quality Brands – Hoops, Chronicles, and Donruss just aren’t holding a lot of value these days. I bought a Zion Donruss PSA 9 for $15. Stick with Prizm, Select, Mosaic, and Optic.
- Choose Rarer Cards – As mentioned above, base cards are crazy overproduced these days—and we’re seeing a corresponding drop in value. Of course, if you just want in on Lamelo and you can’t afford more, that’s obviously just fine. But for pure investment reasons, look for numbered cards, autos, silvers, or othered color variations. Stay away from inserts unless they’re the rare, highly sought-after ones like a Kaboom.
- Watch Out for Overhyped Players – Wemby is a generational talent… the problem is he’s already priced like one. What would he have to do to justify his pricing? Even if he wins an MVP and a championship, I’m not sure he’ll be priced higher than his stuff is now.
Best Hobby Boxes to Hold Long-Term
If you’re looking to hold sealed wax, here are a few pointers:
- Go for Hobby – While retail stuff can certainly increase in value, usually the biggest jumps come from hobby boxes that have guaranteed hits (autos, memorabilia, certain inserts). People who will pay $5k for a hobby Prizm box a few years from now are gamblers and want the bigger hits.
- Go High Quality – Of course the lower stuff goes up as well, but if it’s a quality rookie class and you have Prizm, Mosaic, Optic, or Select, people will pay good money for a chance at those giant hits.
- HIDE THEM – I bought a case of Topps Chrome baseball…and I’ve already opened all of the boxes even though my goal was to keep the whole case 🤦♂️
I did a complete breakdown of different products and which sealed boxes increased their value the most over time…check it out:
