jason mezrahi 
This week’s Collector’s Corner takes a look at what 2018 NBA rookie trading cards – beyond Luka and Trae – could have some lasting value down the road.
The meteoric rise of 2019-20 NBA trading card products because of the historically talented rookie class is well known – with generational superstars like Rookie of the Year Ja Morant and 20-year-old sensation Zion Williamson already doing special things on the court, and names like Tyler Herro, R.J. Barrett, Brandon Clarke and P.J. Washington (to name just a few) flashing some transcendent ability on the hardwood. But the 2018-19 rookie crop has some real gems beyond Luka Doncic – possibly the best young player in the league since LeBron James – and Trae Young, a sharpshooting combo guard sniper who can score on a level with Stephon Curry and some of the league’s best.
Doncic and Young cards make buying 2018-19 NBA products an expensive endeavor and finding their rookie trading cards at affordable prices is already pretty difficult. But what about some of the other players from that class who’ve yet to see their games fully emerge into the consciousness of collectors? In this edition of Collector’s Corner, we’ll give you some players from the 2018-19 draft class who make for excellent investments as they prepare to take the next step in the NBA showcase.
Note: I’ll continue to use my DFS-derived Cash-GPP-Punt terminology to break down the best buys – “Cash” being solid, low-risk with a high ceiling but moderate growth potential, “GPP” being a little more risky but marked by enormous growth potential, and “Punts” – which can be had cheaply but don’t offer quite the same upside/growth potential as the Cash and GPP plays.
Trading Cards – Cash Buys (other than Luka and Trae)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC
A do-it-all guard with the size to create constant mismatches and handle the pick-and-roll with the best of them, SGA was the centerpiece of the Paul George trade and is probably the player most likely to join Luka and Trae in the stratosphere of NBA superstardom. The Thunder are just 6-7 to start the season but have a bright future – thanks to SGA and a new head coach (Mark Daigneault) who’s honest about the mistakes he sees his players make, and how they need to improve.
You can pick up some of SGA’s rookie trading cards (like this 2018-19 Panini Optic Rated Rookie #162) for a fraction of what Luka and Trae cost. He’s not guaranteed to reach their level right away, but he may be a better all-around player than Young because of his size and should be money in the bank a couple years down the road.
DeAndre Ayton, PHO
Ayton still need to learn to stop fouling people, but it’s obvious he can manhandle dudes in the post – like he did up-and-comer Christian Wood on Wednesday night in Houston. He’s a beast at both ends of the floor, and the Suns are building a supporting cast that can take some of the pressure off the two-headed Ayton-Booker monster that still fared pretty well in 2019-20.
I’ve talked about how much I like Ayton before – he’s the centerpiece of my 2018-19 basketball collection thus far – but the big man just keeps drawing positive reviews and is in a great spot to return major trading card value in a few years. If you think SGA is still pretty cheap, you should see what the same card (2018-19 Optic base) is selling for. A PSA 9 at $25 could easily return a 400% profit in two or three seasons.
Trading Cards – GPP Buys
Michael Porter, Jr., DEN
If you’re a DFS junkie and you’ve seen Porter Jr. get into a groove on the court and smash value, you probably know how excellent an investment in his rookie trading cards can be. But he’s blocked a bit from producing at an elite level at the moment and there is a lot of uncertainty about whether or not he can do enough to make the Nuggets a contender in 2020-21 – so you can still find some good deals on his rookies.
Even when he was drafted, there were concerns about how many minutes Porter would be playing in the NBA; he played just 53 minutes of his freshman season in college as a result of back surgery, and a hip issue in the leadup to the draft added more concern about his body. MPJ has now been out since Dec. 29 after testing positive for COVID-19, but he’s nearing a return and was averaging nearly 20 points, seven rebounds, one steal and 1.5 blocks prior to his quarantine period.
Jaren Jackson, Jr., MEM
We don’t have any recent on-court performance to look at with Triple-J, but he looked like a star in three bubble games with averages of 25.3 points, 3.3 triples and 1.7 blocks, and he reportedly grew a couple inches (I know, I know) since the last time he’s taken the court – if Dillon Brooks is to be believed. Still – it’s not unrealistic that the 6-11 (pre-COVID-19) Memphis big man has crested the 7-foot mark as he recovers from meniscus surgery.
JJJ should make for a wonderful complement to the scoring and distribution of Ja Morant, and he’s a floor-stretching 4-slash-5 who can knock down three-pointers, crash the boards and send back that weak stuff like a two-way unicorn. His high-level trading cards could definitely be worth the investment, especially if you can find some raw examples that look like they could 10.
Bonus GPP Buys: Collin Sexton, CLE, Marvin Bagley, SAC and Kevin Huerter, ATL
Trading Cards – Punt Plays
Mikal Bridges, PHO
When he was drafted, Bridges drew comparisons to Klay Thompson, and he’s been a solid producer on the new-look Suns. His stuff is cheap, and even the rookie trading cards with parallels within reach. There’s a lot of good young players in Phoenix, and who stays and who goes in the next few years due to salary cap decisions makes the whole situation a bit uncertain, but he’s a talented player with monster upside.
Mo Bamba, ORL
I’m very much on the fence about Mo Bamba, and as the NYT pointed out when he was drafted – it’s hard to find “two people to agree on what Bamba’s ceiling is, or how likely he is to reach it.” That NYT goes on to talk about how Bamba broke the NBA combine record for wingspan measurement – reaching an absurd 7 feet 10 inches – and how his standing reach was a full three inches taller than any player measured at the combine. You don’t have to buy with much trepidation – because his stuff is super cheap.
Wendell Carter, Jr., CHI
The Former No. 7 draftee from Duke had expectations through the roof, and has been a fantasy bust so far. But while he’s been lacking defensively and took a step back in 2019, new Bulls HC Billy Donovan has the team headed in the right direction. Carter, Jr. could have a good season coming and might be investing in. His Silver Prizm rookie card (even in a PSA 10) can be had for relative peanuts.
