5 NBA Rookie Cards to Watch Under $50
With the NBA season on the horizon, now is the time to consider making some plays before prices start rising. Data in Market Movers tells us that August historically is a great time to snag some solid cards of breakout candidates for less than $50. Here are five of the best rookie cards that are flying under the radar.
Anfernee Simons 2018 Prizm Base #61 PSA 10
Our first pick is Anfernee Simons’ 2018 Prizm Base PSA 10. It seems as though with all of the focus on Damian Lillard’s upcoming trade destination, the rest of the Trail Blazers roster is being disregarded. With Lillard potentially gone, Simons becomes Portland’s top proven shot maker, which is extremely important because of how high his usage rate will be on a young and developing team. Simons, a 6-foot-3 guard with what seems to be a limitless array of scoring moves, averaged an impressive 21 points per game on 45/38/89 shooting splits last season.
Expect Simons’ development to continue as he may potentially be leading the charge for a new-look Trailer Blazers roster alongside Shaedon Sharp and stud rookie Scoot Henderson. His Prizm Base PSA 10 is down 13% the last 30 days, and is attainable for under $40. With a pop count of 1,017, flippers can load up on a high-upside play at an affordable price point.
De’Aaron Fox 2017 Hoops Base #255 PSA 10
De’Aaron Fox took the next step in his development to becoming an elite point guard in the NBA during the 2022-2023 season. The flashy playmaker posted his first season shooting over 50% from the field while averaging 25 points along with over 6 assists.
Fox also showed he won’t shy away from the big moments, averaging over 27 points and making a number of big shots in a playoff series where the Kings gave the Golden State Warriors a legitimate scare. Possibly a top-5 point guard moving forward, his 2017 Hoops Base in PSA 10 could be an absolute steal for just $25. While Hoops doesn’t offer as much upside as bigger cards, it’s a value at this price.
Jordan Poole 2019 Optic Base #169 PSA 10
While Jordan Poole left many fans disappointed during the playoffs, a change of scenery combined with what is expected to be an increased role in Washington lands him as our third pick in this list. There’s no doubt that Poole has the talent to succeed in the NBA, and another offseason could create another jump for the 24-year-old guard. Pairing Poole with playmaker Tyus Jones and scoring wing Kyle Kuzma gives the Wizards a fresh look heading into the season. Poole also averaged over 20 points on a Warriors team that required him to split time and shots with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
While Poole’s 2019 Optic Base in PSA 10 is up 20% the last 30 days, it could still be trading at a discount, particularly when we look at the spike Poole created through several strong performances for Golden State last year. Look for a similar jump as Poole shows out in Washington.
The trend line on Poole’s 2019 Optic Base PSA 10 shows very high upside, especially since he’s capable of dropping 40-plus points on any given night.
LaMelo Ball 2020 Donruss Base #202 PSA 10
Fan favorite LaMelo Ball showed promise in a limited sample size during his sophomore NBA campaign. Ball’s intangibles and general basketball IQ are undoubtedly top-tier when looking at young guards in today’s league, and if he can stay healthy you can expect him to continue to mature and perform at a high level.
His Donruss Base PSA 10 can be picked up for what feels like a robbery at under $20. The card features a pop count of 2,500 and sells at a relatively-high rate, giving collectors both liquidity and ease of entry.
Darius Garland 2019 Optic Holo #195 PSA 10
Rounding off this list is Cleveland’s Darius Garland. Garland, while having to defer to high-volume shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, managed to post over 21 points per game and just shy of eight assists last season.
Garland has elite floor general ability and pairs it well with a deep bag of moves. With talks of Mitchell wanting to end up in New York, he could be handed the reins to a promising Cleveland organization sooner rather than later.
Garland has already made his first All-Star game, and we expect this to become a career trend as he leads the pack of the next generation of scoring playmakers in the NBA. His 2019 Optic Holo offers a bit of variety under $50. The card is also down 38% over the last 30 days, providing a strong case for buy-now profitability.
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Paul Hickey is a regular contributor to Sports Card Investor, the creator of the Sports Card Investment Report at NoOffseason.com, and the host of the Sports Card Strategy Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. He can be found on Instagram at @sportscardstrategy and on Twitter @nooffseasoncard.
