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NBA Cards: Collectors Keep Tyrese Maxey Over Cooper Flagg
20 Oct
Summary
- Courtyard's new tier list ranks NBA players by collector holding habits.
- Tyrese Maxey ranks higher than Cooper Flagg in collector retention.
- Cooper Flagg's $8.04 million rookie card sale sets a new record.
As the 2026-27 NBA season prepares to begin, the basketball card market is experiencing significant activity. Courtyard, a digital collectibles platform, has introduced an innovative NBA player tier list based on collector behavior. This ranking diverges from traditional performance metrics, instead reflecting whether collectors choose to keep, flip, or redeem their newly acquired cards.
The "Keep, Flip, Ship Hierarchy" places players into tiers based on how collectors engage with their pulled cards. Notably, Tyrese Maxey ranks above expected top rookie Cooper Flagg, and stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander share a tier with Donovan Clingan. This list sparks debate by showcasing collector sentiment over predicted on-court success.
This offseason has also seen monumental card sales. Cooper Flagg's 1-of-1 rookie debut patch autograph sold for an astounding $8.04 million on September 25th, becoming the highest price paid for a single NBA player's card. Other significant sales include a Kobe Bryant/LeBron James dual autograph for $6,501,840 and a Knicks quintuple autograph for $317,200.
The upcoming 2026 rookie class, featuring top prospects like AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, is generating immense demand, with preorder demand for Topps Flagship Basketball crashing their website. The release of their first Topps rookie cards, initially set for October 23rd, has been rescheduled to November 5th, a testament to the excitement surrounding these new talents.
