NBA basketball cards: 5 incredible rookies still worth adding to your collection

These rookie NBA basketball cards are worth keeping an eye out for as the 2019 season closes

The 2019-20 season has come to a close, and with it another year of NBA basketball cards has closed as well, at least on the retail side. The secondhand market is still moving in full force, with any unopened boxes remaining becoming a hotter commodity by the day as the hobby community waits on the 2020-21 releases.

While the 1st off the Line Contenders Draft Pick product from Panini is up for sale and shipping as early as October 16th, it might not deliver quite the same hype as rookies in their professional threads for the first time.

While most of the valuable Ja Morant and Zion Williamson rookie cards have been hyped to no end and scooped up by avid collectors at this point, that doesn’t mean collectors should stop now with collecting cards from the 2019 rookie class. It’s a good time to see scraps as potential low-risk, high-reward collections.

We won’t be looking at some of the known rookie collectibles like Tyler Herro, either. These are some rookies who may have lost some steam over the course of the season and could be good sleeper picks this late in the card season. Whether you’re adding to an already respectable collection or just looking for a rookie to build around, I think these are all great picks.

Note: Card collecting is fun! These recommendations are not financial advisement on what cards you should buy and for what price. Collecting cards from an investment standpoint is not something we would advise, given the volatile nature of the value in basketball cards. We suggest using your best judgment and setting a hard budget on what you’re willing to spend on cards. 

5) 2019 rookie NBA basketball cards worth collecting: Jaxson Hayes, Pelicans

Jaxson Hayes had a decent rookie season averaging 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. The rookie center has a lot of room to grow and more importantly plays alongside Zion Williamson, instantly boosting his profile.

Hayes is athletic, quick, and should be a force at the rim on both ends of the floor, especially if he can continue to improve his rim-protecting skills. On the offensive end his 3-point shot could certainly use some sharpening, as he only hit 25 percent of his shots from beyond the arc this season.

I’ve seen PSA 10 Gem Mint Jaxson Hayes Prizm rookie cards consistently sell for less than $100. Graded 9 often sells below $50 depending on the parallel, and in some cases it’s come close to the lower $20s.

This PSA rated 9 Hayes rookie penmanship went for just $26.00.

Given the cost of grading cards in the first place, it’s a pretty feasible cost especially if you like Hayes and his game and want to add a no-tamper case of his to your collection.

Jaxson Hayes rookie card: Here are the current offerings on eBay