We are finally down to the last four teams in the NBA playoffs! With the Thunder, Spurs, Cavs, and Knicks being the last teams standing. 

How does this affect card prices? 

The stars are definitely getting a massive bump in prices. Wemby’s Base Prizm PSA 10 is up 76% over the last 90 days. Shai Gilgeous Alexander’s Base Prizm PSA 10 is up 157% in that same period. 

It is not just helping the stars either. San Antonio rookie Dylan Harper has seen a big increase as well. His Topps Chrome raw auto has jumped 68% in just 14 days across 42 sales. He is a name I will stay high on once this season wraps up and some of the hype cools off. 

As we move deeper into May and toward June, we should start seeing serious attention shift toward football again. 

Here are a few quarterbacks I think could start rising ahead of the season:

Malik is heading into his first year as a starting quarterback. I don’t think the Dolphins have built an amazing supporting cast yet, but first year starting QBs almost always get hobby attention. He is still only 26 years old, so there is room for hype to build. 

Daniels is coming off an injury riddled season. Expectations are high for a bounce back year and for him to return to the form we saw during his rookie season. If that momentum starts building, I could see hobby hype pushing his cards up again. 

Nix had a strong season and had his team in the AFC Championship before his injury on the final play of the divisional round. He threw for nearly 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The addition of Jaylen Waddle could help keep the hype moving as well. 

Young was almost written off heading into last season, then helped lead his team to the playoffs with 3,000 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His prices remain some of the cheapest among NFL QBs because of how his first two seasons played out. That gives him an interesting risk versus reward profile. 

Paolo is heading into his age 24 season this October. He is the face of the Magic organization and put up 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. 

He feels one step away from moving from star to superstar status. If Orlando takes another jump, I think the hobby narrative around him changes quickly. 

His rookie Silver Prizm PSA 10 is sitting around $330. Last season heading into the year it was around $420. I think expectations are higher this year, and if the hype builds again, getting back to that $420 range is very realistic. 

Reed made major improvements from his rookie year to Year 2, going from 4.4 points per game to 13.5 while more than doubling his minutes. 

With the Rockets being a young team still on the rise, I could see Reed developing into a solid starter with some real upside. His prices are still cheap and he is only 21 years old. 

There are two ways to play him. You could grab the Rookie Silver PSA 10 around $175, which has already hit $250 before. Personally, I prefer the raw Optic auto. Those topped around $60 and are currently sitting closer to $30. 

I think $30 for a young player auto is a great low risk entry. Even average Rockets hype heading into next season could push those higher. 

Any sports star coming off an injury should at least be looked at as a possible buy opportunity. Luka’s hype is not disappearing anytime soon. He is only 27 years old and averaged 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists this season. 

His Prizm Base PSA 10 feels like the perfect lower entry point ahead of next season. The card is currently around $185 and has hit $240 multiple times over the last six months. 

This feels more like buying an injury discount than chasing momentum. I would be making moves sooner rather than later before free agency and offseason buzz begin. 

Ant is becoming one of the next true superstars in the league and could easily work his way into MVP conversations. He averaged nearly 29 points per game and led his team to the conference semifinals. 

At just 24 years old, he still has room to grow and could become one of the faces of the NBA. 

His Raw Prizm Silver has touched $200 multiple times over the last six months. Right now it is sitting around $150, with lows reaching about $135 during that same stretch. 

Shai had another incredible season and added another MVP award to his resume. For the card market though, that means prices are extremely high. 

His Base Prizm PSA 10 jumped 67% in the last 60 days, moving from roughly $230 to $385. 

Could it go higher? Absolutely. But I don’t love the risk to reward at these levels. A second ring impacts prices much differently than a first ring would. 

I would sell into the strength now, then look to buy back after the Finals or once the market cools a bit. 

Like Shai, Brunson’s Base Prizm PSA 10 is up 27%. I would take advantage of the momentum and sell while he is hot. If you want back in during the offseason dip, there should be opportunities. 

He is a little riskier because I believe the Thunder are bigger favorites than the Knicks. If Brunson wins a ring, it would be his first, but at 29 years old he may be getting close to peak value territory. 

I grabbed a few cards that were mentioned in last week’s edition, but my favorite pickup was locking in a Kon Knueppel Topps Chrome Refractor for $55 total. 

The last seven day average sits around $49, but I think there is room for movement heading into next season. It will also be interesting to see how the hobby treats Topps Chrome NBA heading into Year 2. 

These could end up being two of my favorite buys heading into June. 

Cade is every bit of a star moving toward superstar status. He took the Pistons to a number one seed and a conference semifinal appearance. There are already rumors about offseason targets and possible additions around him. 

I would hold off for now since he was just eliminated. Let prices settle and look for the dip before jumping in. 

Dylan Harper is another name I am watching closely. His cards have moved hard recently, but with him not being the top option on his team, I think there could be a solid correction once the season ends. 

If prices cool enough, I would be very interested in getting aggressive there. 

We have good news and bad news. 

The bad news is the major NFL buying window is starting to close. Cards consistently push toward their highs as we move into July and August. 

The good news is there is still some time left. Focus on players who are down right now but should pick up momentum over the next few months. 

I would not be focusing on many NFL flips after May unless the discount is big enough and the names are right.