Up-and-coming players always draw the most attention when it comes to sports cards, and in a rapidly-growing league such as the NBA, names quickly come and go.
Prospects who have yet to take that leap into true stardom and have a limited number of accolades to show for it always carry huge risks, but some players are worth gambling on more than others. Alongside Cooper Flagg, these are the young stars of tomorrow that are worth taking a chance on.
This one should honestly be a no-brainer. Castle is the reigning Rookie of the Year from his 2024-25 campaign and is a key part of an extremely young Spurs roster that has tremendous potential to make deep playoff runs.
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Stephon Castle Monopoly RC PSA 10 | CardLadder
While Castle’s card market already has its fair share of valuable pieces, his lower-end collectibles are still priced at a relatively affordable range. Depending on the set, his PSA 10 RCs even in SP variants still go for under $1,000.
Kon Knueppel
Jan 29, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots as Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
If you’re able to go toe-to-toe with Cooper Flagg in rookie discussions while having a shooting season that rivals one that only Steph Curry can pull off, then there’s serious potential yet to be unleashed.
The Charlotte Hornets’ draft selection has been trading the #1 spot on the rookie ladder with Flagg for almost the entire season thus far with averages of 18.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 3.6 APG while shooting 43% from three.
Knueppel’s high-end products are by no means cheap, but then again that’s to be expected of someone who’s firmly in the race for the Rookie of the Year award. Some of his cheaper Rookie Auto cards are still within reach for the average collector, with many variants still falling within or even below the $500 mark.
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Feb 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) runs up the court during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
For those who don’t have thousands to spend on top prospects and prefer someone who gets overlooked in favor of flashier names, Maxime Raynaud is the one to watch. As of February 11, 2026, he’s even climbed to his peak position of fifth on the NBA’s rookie ladder.
Raynaud has shown solid production for the Sacramento Kings despite the team’s struggles this year. He had a 29-point 11-rebound double-double against Portland last December, and just days ago logged yet another double-double, this time with 21 points and a career-high 19 boards.
A Maxime Raynaud RPA sold for under $200 recently | CardLadder
His card market is the most affordable of the three on this list, with $200 already enough to score a SP Rookie Auto or RPA from Topps‘ mainline sets. Whether or not he’ll be the one to lead the Kings to a new future is yet to be seen, but for those kinds of prices, investing in Raynaud’s cards is a risk definitely worth taking.
Up-and-coming players always draw the most attention when it comes to sports cards, and in a rapidly-growing league such as the NBA, names quickly come and go.
Prospects who have yet to take that leap into true stardom and have a limited number of accolades to show for it always carry huge risks, but some players are worth gambling on more than others. Alongside Cooper Flagg, these are the young stars of tomorrow that are worth taking a chance on.
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