Buckle up hoops fans and savvy collectors alike, because the NBA season has once again rotated around, promising not just slam dunks and buzzer-beaters but the ever-enticing market dynamics where cardboard heroes rise and fall. As the 2025-26 schedule kicks off, millions have tuned in to witness today’s hardwood drama queens dribbling into action. The sparkling doubleheader has mega stars colliding in what promises to be a season oozing with on-court pizzazz. Amidst this fanfare, astute collectors have been kept on their toes, scribbling notes, making predictions, and updating their stash as the season unfurls like a well-pressed jersey.
As September gave way to October, a meticulous sweep through the labyrinth of Beckett Online Price Guide trends revealed an intriguing pattern: four players were experiencing a thrilling ascent in the market, whilst another four found themselves unexpectedly cooling. Enter stage left, the charming foursome of risers, whose shimmer has caused collectors to scramble and hit ‘enter’ faster than a dodged NBA crossover.
First in the limelight is Victor Wembanyama, the towering Spurs star who stands at an impressive 7 feet 3 inches. After a playing hiatus that saw him miss a chunk of last season due to health issues, Wembanyama is poised to return with what many believe to be a possible Defensive Player of the Year campaign—if he remains healthy. With such bubbling optimism, the marketplace has reacted like a well-oiled Spurs offense, sending Wembanyama’s card prices spiraling ever skyward. So hang on to those Panini Hoops Anti Gravity cards, collectors, as they might just defy gravity indeed.
Next in the cavalcade of ascending stocks is Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls. Emerging from the comforts of anonymity on the bench, Buzelis propelled himself into Chi-town’s starting five, artfully playcrafting shots and points alike. This young assignee has revamped expectations, turning his initial 14-minute appearances into 26.8 minutes of pure spectacle, with numbers to match. Buyers, feeding off this newfound confidence, have nudged his cards upward, blissfully gambling on his continued spotlight. Christened in the Green 252 of 2024-25 Panini Prizms, Buzelis is poised to enchant collectors as much as defenders.
The saga continues over in Los Angeles, where the Clippers have reinvented their scoring artillery courtesy of Bogdan Bogdanovic. Having joined the team midseason, Bogdanovic immediately oiled the Clippers’ score machine, effectively becoming their secret weapon. Yet, this rise is anything but quiet, as his cards witnessed significant upward price adjustments, painting him in shades of Panini Mosaic Purple—a smoothly riveting hue for any collection.
Rounding off this illustrious list of risers is Minnesota’s Terrence Shannon Jr. Slotted into the Timberwolves’ rotation somewhat sedately, Shannon Jr. transformed into Rhythmic Shannon, asserting himself forcefully with expanding roles and increasing time on the court—a development met with enthusiastic approval from collectors who have seen his market stock inflating alongside his minutes. Now embedded within the Select Orange Flash Prizms, his collectible arc is as orange and flashy as his performances promise to be.
But while the sun shines on these rising stars, shadowy clouds loom elsewhere, cooling the market heat where once it burned bright. Joel Embiid, revered beyond many for his MVP seasons, has recently faced a challenging spell haunted by injuries. Knee surgery and infrequent game appearances have cooled opinions, if only temporarily, for his Donruss Playmakers card has faced skepticism amidst care and waiting for Embeast’s rejuvenated roar on the court.
Zach Edey’s value narrative reads like an unfortunate rookie tale, where promising beginnings were abruptly undone by an ankle injury—leaving buyers rendered in anxious anticipation, pausing amidst whispers of his return until this shadowed season’s dawn.
Another cautionary marker looms beside Jaylen Wells. He, much like Edey, broke expectations only to face the sophomore jitters. After a breakout first year, whispers of a dreaded ‘sophomore slump’ have encased his value narrative, an eerie regression that has demanded reflection in his card prices, revealing a dance between hope and hesitancy.
And lastly, Baylor Scheierman, who stepped onto the Boston stage to play harmonious yet supportive notes. Despite his playoff tidbits and sudden rush onto the scene, collectors crave more substantial performances—larger roles—to nudge upward his drifting Panini Mosaic Rookie Scripts cards.
Within this ever-shifting world of NBA cards, the certainty dissolves as swiftly as a defense before a well-aimed Steph Curry three-pointer. But for now, we sit poised and observant, as seasons transform stars into collectibles and game moments into cherished memories, all wrapped with small cardboard promises waiting to leap toward newfound stardom.
