2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball: A Guide to the Top NBA Rookies and Chase Cards

Can you hear that? The sounds of tickling twine, announcers yelling outlandish things like “HUM DIDDLY DEE!”, and Wilson basketballs bouncing off the hardwood are almost upon us. The 2026-27 NBA season is just two weeks away!

But as any hoop head will tell you, this isn’t just any old 82-game stretch for The Association—it’s a season filled with intrigue, drama, and, of course, a one-of-a-kind crop of rookies.

Preorders for 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball are officially open ahead of their formal release on October 22nd. It’s the second year of Topps’ return to the NBA after the Fanatics-owned company regained the league license in 2025, and their (latest) sophomore season has an absolutely loaded rookie class to tout. Topps isn’t just resting on their laurels though; they’re pulling out all the stops to make this release—and undoubtedly others over the next eight months—as big as they can be.

Whether you were spamming refresh on Topps’ site—which crashed due to overwhelming demand for the new product—or you’re looking to chase rookies of yesteryear, Courtyard has you covered with the latest basketball card news, potential pulls, and insightful data to power your collecting journey. 

Time to tip off!

What’s Inside 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball

It’s one of the greatest movie lines of all time—don’t debate us. But we’re not here to talk about Se7en. Instead, let’s take a look at what collectors can find in this year’s flagship basketball release:

• A 300-card base set: Headlined by top draft picks AJ Dybantsa (Washington Wizards), Darryn Peterson (Utah Jazz), Cameron Boozer (Memphis Grizzlies), Caleb Wilson (Chicago Bulls), and Keaton Wagler (Los Angeles Clippers). While rookies are the main attraction, the set also features the first pack-pulled cards of LeBron James as a Philadelphia 76er, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as a member of the Miami Heat. 
• New clear variations: These see-through cards will join the set’s Number, Team, Golden Mirror Image and Wood variations.
• Gold 1/1 All Kings cards: The first Gold Kings 1/1s in Topps basketball history.
• Inserts: You knew these were coming in hot. Topps is introducing Poster Factory, Levitation, Bounce, Hardwood Stars, Quest for the Crown, and a 1981-82 Topps throwback that also features autographs.
• Autos and Relics: Look for Rookie Photo Shoot, Level Up Signatures, and New Applicants autos, as well as Roundball Remnants relics featuring game-used material from Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards. We love game-used around here!

A standard hobby box features 20 packs, each containing 12 cards, with an average of one autograph or relic per box—and man, do we wish that auto was guaranteed like it is for the jumbo hobby box, which costs twice as much, albeit with the promise of a guaranteed auto and a relic.

The Rookie Class Everyone Is Chasing 

Rookie hype is nothing new, and Courtyard collectors continue to prove it. Cooper Flagg won the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year, and he’s the fourth-most searched basketball player on Courtyard over the last 90 days—behind the game’s greats: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James—as collectors prep for his sophomore season. Yes, Cooper Flagg is a more popular search term on Courtyard than Chef Curry and Wemby.

If you want to see what a hyped rookie class looks like once it’s in The Hobby, here are the top rookie cards in Courtyard packs, ranked by their fair market value:

The Recent Modern Phenoms:

• $7,358: Victor Wembanyama – 2023 Panini Prizm RC #136 Green Ice (PSA 10)
• $6,629: Cooper Flagg – 2025 Topps Finest Headliners #H-11 (PSA 10)
• $334: Stephon Castle – 2024 Panini Prizm Rookie Card #234 Blue Prizm (PSA 9)

Current NBA Superstars:

• $24,807: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 2018 Panini Contenders Cracked Ice Ticket #106 Autograph (BGS 9.5)
• $13,070: Luka Dončić – 2018 Panini Prizm Rookie #280 Blue Ice (BGS 9.5)
• $11,494: Cade Cunningham – 2021 Panini Crown Royale Kaboom! #21 (PSA 10)
• $10,849: Anthony Edwards – 2020 Panini National Treasures RC #111 Patch Autograph Horizontal Bronze (BGS 9.5)

All-Time Greats:

• $7,894: LeBron James – 2003 Bowman Rookies & Stars #123 Chrome (PSA 10)
• $6,057: Giannis Antetokounmpo – 2013 Panini Prizm RC #290 Purple Die-Cut Prizm (BGS 9.5)
• $3,267: Stephen Curry – 2009 Panini Rookie Card #307 (PSA 10)

Budget Rookie Basketball Cards:

• $470: Jalen Brunson – 2018 Panini Prizm RC #250 (PSA 10)
• $262: LaMelo Ball – 2020 Panini Donruss Optic Rookie #153 Red (PSA 10)
• $154: Jayson Tatum – 2017 Panini Prizm Rookie Card #16 (PSA 9)
• $67: Donovan Mitchell – 2017 Panini Prizm RC #117 Silver Prizm (PSA 9)

All of these cards can be found throughout Courtyard’s basketball packs, and sit alongside plenty of NBA rookies on Courtyard’s marketplace.

Top Rookie Basketball Card Sales on the Courtyard Marketplace

On Courtyard’s peer-to-peer marketplace, basketball fans are telling a similar story: It’s all about rookies. The top peer-to-peer basketball card sales on the Courtyard marketplace this summer and fall are all rookies, albeit from various eras, from the ‘80s and ‘90s to the modern game.

1. $25,000: Michael Jordan – 1984 Star #101 (BGS 4.5)
2. $10,000: Tim Duncan – 1997 Skybox Premium #229 Star Rubies (PSA 9)
3. $7,000: Victor Wembanyama – 2022 Bowman Chrome University #101 Prospect Autograph (PSA 10)

How to Chase Graded Basketball Rookie Cards on Courtyard

Whether you’re hunting for a Wemby Chrome RC, a Flagg RPA, or a Spida Prizm, every basketball card on Courtyard is graded, authenticated, and ready to rip, buy, or sell digitally, in real-time. While we source some of the finest cards from the 2026 NBA Draft, you can rip some basketball packs or browse the marketplace to find rookie cards of those that have already earned the title of superstar. 

Oh, and don’t forget to tune in to the tripleheader featuring the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, October 20th!