Chet Holmgren Rookie Guide: Best Sets and Parallels
After being drafted second overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren came with lofty expectations. The 7-foot-1 combo forward got off to a hot start in the 2022 summer league, scoring 23 points in his debut and tallying six blocks before a foot injury during a pro-am game in subsequent weeks sideline him for the entire 2022-2023 NBA season.
Back healthy in 2023, the Gonzaga product has picked up right where he left off, leading the Thunder’s summer squad with over 20 points and nine rebounds per game while showcasing elite rim protection. It’s evident with Holmgren’s physical makeup and elite versatility that his future is bright, as long as he can stay healthy. With a full year’s worth of rookie cards already on the market, and Holmgren entering really what is his first year in the league, it presents sports card collectors and investors a unique opportunity to look into his rookie cards.
It should also be noted that Holmgren is a key rookie in the release of the inaugural Prizm Monopoly collab, which features many new variations, some of which we’ve hit on below.
VALUE ROOKIES:
The Value Tier includes cards with high print runs or lower-quality cardstock. A good fit for new collectors or those on a limited budget.
2022 Hoops Arriving Now – Winter #2: The first card falling into our value section of Holmgren buys is an aesthetically pleasing Hoops card. Holmgren’s 2022 Hoops Arriving Now Winter Edition in PSA 10 is a great budget-friendly option for those looking to enter the Holmgren market, with the most recent trade pricing just under $20, marginally higher than the cost of getting the card itself graded. We’ve also seen this card’s pricing drop 29% over the past year, suggesting this may be a good “buy now” option.
2022 Prizm Luck of the Lottery #13: Holmgren’s Prizm Luck of the Lottery PSA 10 card comes in at number two on our value rookie card options, with the cheapest average sale price of the three, at just $15. This Prizm insert, featuring a draft night portrait, would be higher on our list if it weren’t for lack of availability, with just nine PSA 10’s currently in circulation and very few buying options available. With that being said, if you’re able to find some, it could be a steal as Holmgren looks to be a solid breakout candidate.
2022 Hoops Class Action – Holo #2: Rounding off our value picks is yet another Holmgren Hoops card, which isn’t surprising, considering the price and availability of the Hoops set each year. The 2022 Hoops #2 Class Action Holo card features Holmgren in a Thunder jersey, finishing with a finger roll in the foreground of colorful holographic ripples. Trading at an average price of $38 over the last year, this card has seen a 9% decrease in pricing.
2022 Hoops Tribute #282: The most commonly traded PSA 10 Holmgren card over the past year has been his 2022 Hoops #282 Tribute with 30 sales. With 75 of these cards in circulation, this comes in as our number one value pick, toting an average sale of $36 and a 35% price drop.
2022 Hoops Base #232: Our second pick for popular rookie cards is the 2022 Hoops #232 Base PSA 10, which just barely sneaks in as the most expensive pick in this category, carrying an average trading price of $42. Trading 24 times, this rookie card features a high card population while reflecting a desirable price range. It is worth noting that this card has seen the highest price increase in the last year of these options at 23%.
2022 Donruss Base #202: Rounding off Holmgren’s value rookie card list is the 2022 Donruss Base #202, selling raw for under $5. This is a great option for those looking to buy in bulk in hopes of flipping, as this card has been traded over 200 times in the last 365 days.
POPULAR ROOKIES:
This tier includes cards from the most popular sets across both retail and hobby formats. Typically easy to buy or sell when needed.
2022 Prizm Base #266: If you’re looking for an affordable, yet popular rookie card, Holmgren’s 2022 Prizm Base is a great place to start. Selling 524 times in the last 365 days, the Prizm Base was sold at an average of just $5. The card does however seem to be fairly volatile in terms of pricing changes, so with a 59% pricing decrease, now could be a good time to pick some up.
2022 Optic Base #208: Another budget-friendly option is Holmgren’s 2022 Optic Base. Starting at $5, versions of this card have been traded on all but three days this July. It has however seen a 14% increase in pricing, so it may be worthwhile to keep on eye this one until the next dip comes before purchasing.
2022 Prizm Monopoly Base: Holmgren’s 2022 Base in the inaugural Prizm Monopoly release is his most traded PSA 10 and highest pop base card in circulation, trading at an average of $41. The card’s sales price has increased just 7% year-over-year, and with low volatility relative to average sales, this could be a good choice for those looking to get in on Holmgren and possibly even hold for the long term.
2022 Prizm Photo Variation – Fast Break #266: The Prizm #266 features a horizontal, landscape image, with the shiny bubble backdrop and border that denotes the “Fast Break” variation. Trading under $200, this is the best value pick on our list for his unique rookie cards.
MORE UNIQUE ROOKIES:
This tier includes cards with lower print runs, unique designs, or cards from hobby-only products. Usually higher-quality cards than the Value or Popular tiers, though not necessarily more popular or easier to buy or sell.
2022 Prizm Monopoly Free Parking #63: Our first selection for unique rookie cards features Holmgren outlined by the “free parking” design used in the iconic board game. While this card isn’t necessarily rare, they are a relatively difficult drop to get your hands on. While there are options on eBay, the difficulty of original purchase gives the sellers more pricing power. Fortunately, this specific variation has dropped 24% in pricing over the last 365 days, and can be a great unique card to add to your PC for around $100.
2022 Prizm Purple Ice /149 #266: The Purple Ice variant of the Prizm #266 trades on average at $565 in PSA 10, just half the price of its Blue Ice counterpart (#/125) mentioned below, making it a unique and opportunistic buy for those that can find this low population print.
2022 Prizm Draft Picks Manga / (SSP) #MAN-CH: The 2022 Prizm Draft Picks #MAN-CH Manga PSA 10 features a cartoon-inspired Holmgren sporting his Gonzaga college jersey. While cards that don’t feature the rookies in their NBA team jerseys typically are not valued as high, this card manages to sell at $1,000, and could be a great pick for those looking to add to their personal collection.
2022 Select Color Wheel #19: Sold raw for $713 as recently as July 13, the 2020 Select Color Wheel offers collectors an option with a unique design that has been one of the more volatile cards priced on the more expensive side.
2022 Crown Royale Rookie Silhouettes #101: Printed 199 times, Holmgren’s 2022 Crown Royale Rookie Silhouettes is a strong option for collectors adding to their PC due to ease of entry and pricing. You can get your hands on this jersey-featured card for as low as $127.
2022 Hoops Artist Proof /25 and Artist Proof Gold /10: Wrapping up our unique Holmgren rookie card category is the 2022 Hoops Artist Proof inserts. With a low print run, the Holmgren Artist Proof was last sold at $91. For those looking for even more exclusivity, its Gold parallel spikes in price, and can be purchased at $550 raw.
RAREST AND MOST EXCLUSIVE:
This category may be out of reach for most collectors due to price. Don’t worry if this tier is too pricey as there’s a host of options in other categories that could be perfect for your collection.
2022 Crown Royale Kaboom! #21: Kicking off our picks for the most exclusive Holmgren cards is the 2022 Crown Royale #21 Kaboom. Featuring arguably the most appealing card art in our entire Holmgren rookie card list, buyers are looking at an average cost of $2,800 for a PSA 10. Fortunately, the card has seen a pricing decrease of $363 over the last year, and the most recent sale was well under the average cost at $2,650.
2022 Prizm Blue Ice /125 #266: Holmgren’s Prizm #266 Blue Ice features just 125 total cards in circulation, and a mere six PSA 10’s. While not in Crown Royale #21 pricing territory, you can still expect to shell out at least $1,200 on this Blue Ice variant.
2022 Select Premier Level Gold Disco /10 #196: The 2022 Premier Level Gold Disco is another strong rare option. With a low serial count of just 10, this Gold Disco parallel raw has been sold once over the last 365 days at $1,000, but could be a strong investment opportunity for those not looking to add to their PC.
2022 Contenders Rookie Ticket Auto Playoff /99: While Holmgren has several rookie autos available, the 2022 Contenders Rookie Ticket Auto Playoff was printed just 99 times, with only two cards thus far being graded in PSA 10. It is however the cheapest option for this category, trading at $810. If you’re looking for a high-end auto in a more achievable range that will hold value long-term, this is a solid option.
2022 Prizm Monopoly Black Gold /5 #63: Rounding off our list of Holmgren rookie cards is the 2022 Prizm Monopoly Black Gold. This card was featured in the first-ever Prizm Monopoly collab, and with an extremely low serial count offers collectors peak exclusivity with relatively low pricing. Most recently sold raw for $1,140, Holmgren’s Black Gold has seen a 9% pricing dip over the last thirty days that could peak the interest of potential buyers.
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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.
