One player to buy, sell, and monitor for NBA Eastern Conference teams part 2 of 3
Patrick Stoddard
March 6, 2022
We will take a quick glance into each NBA Eastern Conferences team’s sports card market for this article. The teams will be listed in the current regular season standings as of the time this article was written. For each of the 15 teams, I will identify a player who is a buy for the remainder of the season, a sell for the rest of the season, and an intriguing player to monitor their card market. This analysis is only for the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season. Certain players may be listed as a sell for this article but may be a long-term hold or vice versa. This article is purely an opinion piece of how I view each team’s market.
Part 2 of 3
6. Boston Celtics
Buy- Jayson Tatum
Tatum is changing the earlier season narrative of him and Jaylen Brown failing to co-exist and potentially forcing Boston to trade Brown away for another star. Now with the Celtics playing better as of late, the negative talks of can Brown and Tatum play together have faded away. The only remaining discussions are how far the Celtics can go in the playoffs, and Tatum leading the way could make him an underrated buy right now.
Sell- Grant Williams
Willams is turning into a good 3 & D wing for the Celtics. His three-point percentage is up this season, and his defense is above average. However, will Williams ever be more than a good 3 & D role player for an NBA team? Most likely not, making his uptick in play this season a good time to sell any remaining Willams cards.
Monitor- Jaylen Brown
Brown is the clear number two-star to Tatum in Boston. But do not let that deter potential buyers. If the Celtics can make a deep playoff run this year, Browns cards could increase prices. On the flip side, if the Celtics flame out in an early-round exit in the playoffs. Expect the talks to return of NBA insiders debating if Brown and Tatum can co-exist.
7. Toronto Raptors
Buy- Scottie Barnes
After being picked 4th overall in the 2021 NBA draft, Barnes has beat most of his expectations. Doubters of Barnes game worried that Barnes would struggle offensively early in his NBA career. That is not the case. Barnes has already shown he can be a good offensive player in the NBA with room to grow. The caveat is buyers should wait until more Scottie Barnes cards are in the marketplace to avoid FOMO and acquire cards at lower prices. As of this article, the only mainstream products that have Barnes in his NBA uniform are Panini Hoops and Panini Donruss. To get Barnes’s cards, buyers should wait until Panini Prizm, Mosiac, and other products are released.
Sell- Pascal Siakam
Siakam is a good NBA player, make no mistake, Siakam’s accolades include a Most Improved Player Award in 2019, an NBA All-Star appearance in 2020, and an All-NBA Team in 2020. Despite the recent awards and honors, the narrative shifted on Siakam. After Kawhi Leonard left the Raptors after winning the 2019 NBA championship, the Raptors hoped Siakam would become the guy in Toronto. While he may have become “the guy,” he has not established himself as an All-NBA caliber player. At 27 years old, Siakam seems headed down the path of being a good player in NBA history, but not an all-time great, likely with little relevance outside of Toronto.
Monitor- Gary Trent Jr.
Trent Jr. was acquired via trade from the Portland Trailblazers last year and re-signed with the Toronto Raptors. At 23 years old, Trent Jr. still has a long career ahead of him. Trent Jr. has proven to go on scoring onslaughts throughout the season. If Trent Jr. balls out in the playoffs (if Toronto makes the playoffs), monitor his card prices for flipping opportunities.
8. Brooklyn Nets
Buy- Kevin Durant
Durant will probably go down in history as a top 10 NBA player of all time. Durant’s higher-end cards are priced out of most buyers’ reach. Durant still has many base or rookie variation cards available for $60-$200. Many of these cards are not crazy high in population either. Perhaps some rookie cards of Durant currently in the $60-$200 range with a relatively low population can be a sneaky buy this year. Buyers can check out 2007 Kevin Durant Upper Deck or Topps variation rookie cards.
Sell- Kyrie Irving
Brooklyn Nets fans and Kyrie fans worldwide are waiting to see if New York City will change their vaccination mandates allowing Kyrie to play in home games. As it currently stands, Kyrie is unvaccinated and only plays in away games with the Nets, being unable to play home games due to his unvaccinated status. With Kyrie being unable to play in home games and only half the team’s playoff games. I would exercise caution on Kyrie and avoid buying him for the remainder of the season.
Monitor- Ben Simmons
I hate to put Simmons as a monitor with all that had transpired since the 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks when Simmons passed out of a wide-open dunk to lose the game. Simmons has cited mental reasons for him demanding a trade out of Philadelphia. Simmons got what he wanted as he now plays for the Nets. Simmons’s card prices expectedly tanked while he sat out awaiting a trade. His card prices began to tick upward after his trade. With Simmons having still not played with the Nets, he could come out of the gates looking like the All-NBA player he has been in the past, or he could come out looking like the Ben Simmons who passed out of a wide-open dunk in crunch time of a playoff game. Simmons not playing makes him a monitor until he makes his debut with the Nets.
9. Atlanta Hawks
Buy- Trae Young
Trae Young’s prices have remained reasonably steady throughout the current 2021-22 NBA season. Young is playing just as good, if not better, than he has in the past. Yet, his card prices have not increased. Young has seemingly fallen out of favor within the sports card hobby. With other young stars overtaking Young in card prices. The Atlanta Hawks had not had the success they had last year when they appeared in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The lack of the Hawks team success could be why Young’s card prices have not increased. These factors may make Young an underrated buy heading into the playoffs, especially if the Hawks upset a higher-seeded team.
Sell- De’Andre Hunter
Hunter is 24 years old; after being the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, the ship has seemed to sail on Hunter, reaching star status in the NBA. Hunter will most likely sign a good-sized extension this offseason with the Hawks or be used as trade bait. Hunter has also been oft-injured, limiting his availability on the court. Hunter seems destined to become a good 3 & D wing player. Good 3 & D players are good for NBA teams, not remarkable for sports card collectors. I believe Hunter should be a sell closing in on the end of this season.
Monitor- John Collins
If the Atlanta Hawks make a surprising playoff run this NBA season, a big reason could be John Collins stepping up into being the #2 guy on the Hawks. Collins signed a four-year $100 million contract this offseason. Collectors should monitor Collins to see if he can earn those contract numbers and become the true wingman Trae Young needs to propel the Hawks forward in the playoffs.
10. Charlotte Hornets
Buy- Miles Bridges
Miles Bridges entered the season on fire, teaming up with LaMelo Ball to make an electrifying young duo. Bridges and Ball combined for insane alley-ops and many exciting plays. Bridges’ cards skyrocketed in price at the beginning of the season as buyers thought Bridges and Ball could become a dynamic duo in the NBA. That didn’t happen, the hype has fallen off Bridges, and his card prices have tanked. Two things to consider here: Bridges will sign a John Collins type of contract extension this offseason. Collins is 23 years old, and Ball is 20. This young, dynamic duo still has many years to take over the NBA as a duo who can strike fear into NBA teams. With Bridges’s card prices at almost all-time lows, there might not be such a good buying opportunity for Bridges again if he morphs into an upper-echelon NBA player teamed with LaMelo Ball.
Sell- Gordon Hayward
Hayward is 31 years old; Hayward has struggled with injuries ever since leaving the Utah Jazz for the Boston Celtics, and the injuries have followed him to the Charlotte Hornets. Hayward was never a superstar in the NBA despite being paid like one. If collectors are still holding Hayward cards to sell for profit, I would see no point in waiting to sell Hayward for higher profit down the road. Hayward’s career seems set at this point. He will always go down as an overpaid star derailed by injuries.
Monitor- LaMelo Ball
I am not a hater of LaMelo Ball; I think he could be a great long-term hold in the basketball card market. However, LaMelo Ball is often in the top-5 graded players of the recent months across all the grading companies. This will flood the market with LaMelo Ball rookie cards. Which could lead to an oversupply of LaMelo Ball cards, meaning you can buy them cheap due to an overabundance of supply. However, if you look at other young NBA star’s cards, Ball’s card still has a long way to go to reach their population counts, which may keep prices higher. Ball’s prices have remained steady most of the season as well, leading me to conclude potential buyers or sellers of LaMelo should monitor how the remainder of the season plays out.
Disclaimer: I’m a paying customer of Card Ladder. This content is for informational and/or entertainment purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, investment, financial, or other advice.
