10 Most Valuable 2025-26 Topps Basketball Base Rookie Cards
With excitement still bubbling over from Topps flagship Basketball October 23 release, fans and collectors wait with bated breath for the 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball release on Thursday, December 18.
Cases, boxes, hangers, packs, and singles of Topps’ first licensed basketball release since 2009 have flown off physical and digital shelves. More excitement on secondary platforms was found with the Topps Chrome First Day Issue boxes on December 15. When the Chrome version hits the masses, expect another wave of collector enthusiasm to continue for months.
What is hot among the flagship products will carry over into the Chrome parallels – especially for base rookie cards.
For collectors ready to add some cardboard to their PC, on the hunt for last-minute Christmas gifts, or eager to know which of their new Chrome cards are of value, we’ve broken down the list of 2025-26 Topps base rookie cards that do not include the many parallels or inserts like Comic Court, Sonic Boom, All Kings, or 8-Bit Ballers.
Bonus Cards
Normally bonus items come at the end, but not in this gift listing. With some repetition within the top 10, adding three extra rookies to watch coupled with current values gives collectors a better idea of what is happening in the secondary market.
Jeremiah Fears – New Orleans Pelicans
2025-26 Topps #207 Jeremiah Fears RC
Card values EX to Mint: $.75 to $5
Cedric Coward – Memphis Grizzlies
2025-26 Topps #211 Cedric Coward RC
Card values EX to Mint: $.75 to $5
Derik Queen – New Orleans Pelicans
2025-26 Topps #213 Derik Queen RC
Card values EX to Mint: $.75 to $5
10 Most Valuable 2025-26 Topps Rookie Basketball Cards
Tre Johnson – Washington Wizards
Richard Earl Johnson III – better known as Tre Johnson, cracks the rookie top 10 at No. 10. The Wizards shooting guard can light it up from deep but then go 0-4 or 0-3 from behind the arc. The hot shooting nights have Johnson at 39.8 percent on his 3s for the season. Starting in 4 of 17 games played, Johnson is averaging 11.2 points per game.
2025-26 Topps #206 Tre Johnson III RC
Ace Bailey – Utah Jazz
The transition from small forward at Rutgers to the NBA with the Jazz is still in process for Bailey. On the positive, the fifth pick in the 2025 draft is averaging 10.0 points per game, starting 16 of 25 games. On the flip side, shot selection and field-goal percentage has been iffy, but that is to be expected for a rookie.
Collectors are still buying Bailey cardboard, seeing a bright future for the 6-9 talent. Excellent versions of his base card are easy additions around $1, going up to $5 as a Mint.
2025-26 Topps #205 Ace Bailey RC
Dylan Harper – San Antonio Spurs
While the second pick in the NBA Draft may not be having the splash season of his counterparts, Dylan Harper is arguably in the best position for postseason success. The Spurs lead the Southwest Division and just handed the defending champs, Oklahoma City, only their second loss in 26 games this season.
With a very talented and young San Antonio squad around him, the former Rutgers shooting guard has yet to start a game but is still averaging 13.1 ppg in 21.9 minutes on average.
Values for Harper’s cards have stabilized from $1 EX to $6 Mint. Harper’s RC and Holiday RC rank seventh and eighth on the RC OPG list.
Kon Knueppel – Charlotte Hornets
Curious how loaded Duke was a year ago, they had five players drafted this year. Fourth overall, second off the Blue Devils’ squad – Kon Knueppel. The Charlotte Hornets small forward is streaky behind the arc, but when hot – watch out. Knueppel is averaging 19.0 points per game and is hitting 40.5 percent of shots from downtown.
In his last two games, Knueppel posted 33 against Chicago and 29 on Cleveland. As a result, collectors are buying in, raising his RCs values.
Excellent conditioned cards start around $1.50, going up to $10 Mint.
VJ Edgecombe – Philadelphia 76ers
Perhaps the early beginnings of a career-long rivalry are already in the works. Just two years ago, like Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe was a five-star high school recruit. Like Flagg, both were ripping the nets in the college ranks last year, and now both are finding great success early in their careers in the NBA. The 20-year-old Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard is averaging 15.2 points per game and has started all 22 games of the season thus far.
Edgecombe’s base RC is third on the list topping out at $10 mint down to $1.50 in excellent condition. The Topps Holiday #H163 Edgecombe pricing is in the same arena, and comes in fifth on the OPG value rankings.
Cooper Flagg – Dallas Mavericks
The top pick in the draft out of Duke has been as advertised. The small forward has been all over the court for the Dallas Mavericks this season, even running the point. Flagg has responded, averaging 18.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. In an overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on December 12, Flagg notched his first career 40-point game (42).
To no surprise, Flagg’s tagged RCs are the most valuable, and he has two atop the list. The #201 Flagg runs from $2 to $12 in mint condition. Surprisingly, the Holiday variations of Flagg cards are bringing in the same amount of cash.
