Cooper Flagg Cards: Get In Early on the Most Hyped Prospect Since Zion

The Case for Getting In Early

Going first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft put Cooper Flagg in the same sentence as LeBron James, Zion Williamson, and Victor Wembanyama — and historically, number one picks see their biggest price spike between draft night and their rookie-season debut. Flagg dominated at Duke as a true freshman, earning ACC Player of the Year, the Wooden Award, and consensus All-American honors while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four. At 6'9" with elite two-way versatility, he drew comparisons to a young Jayson Tatum but with more defensive impact. Selected by the Dallas Mavericks, his card market has followed the same trajectory as Zion and Wembanyama before him.

Prospect collectors are the primary buyers right now, treating Flagg cards as an early bet on a potential franchise player. Speculators look to flip around draft night for short-term gains. Long-term investors are accumulating Bowman University parallels as the earliest licensed cards in what they hope becomes a Hall of Fame career. The college-to-pro transition is the most volatile window in any player's card market, which means opportunity and risk are both elevated.

Key Cards at Every Price Point

2024-25 Bowman University Chrome

The cornerstone pre-draft Flagg card. Bowman University has established itself as the premier college basketball card product, and Chrome Refractor parallels are the chase cards that serious prospect collectors prioritize. Base cards offer accessible entry, while numbered parallels carry meaningful premiums.

2024-25 Leaf Metal Draft Basketball

Leaf draft products fill the gap before NBA-licensed cards arrive. Metal Draft cards feature autographs and numbered parallels that attract collectors looking for on-card signatures at pre-draft prices. These cards typically peak around draft night before NBA-licensed rookies redirect demand.

2025-26 Panini Prizm (upcoming)

Once Flagg is drafted, his Prizm Silver rookie will become the definitive card. Prizm has been the modern standard for NBA rookies since 2012, and the Silver parallel in PSA 10 will be the benchmark card for Flagg's career trajectory. Positioning in pre-draft products now is partly a bet on what these cards will cost later.

When to Buy — and What to Watch For

The biggest price spike for number one picks historically happens between draft night and the rookie-season debut — Wembanyama, Zion, and LeBron all followed this pattern. If you want to get in early, buy before the draft-night rush when prices are still based on projection rather than confirmed status. Once he is drafted, Summer League performance and the first regular-season games become the next catalysts — watch for a post-Summer League dip if the hype cools, because that is often the last affordable window before the regular season begins.

Modern print runs mean supply will be significant once NBA-licensed products release. The scarcity advantage of pre-draft cards is that they were produced before the hype fully materialized. Bowman University Chrome parallels with low serial numbers will hold value better than base cards if Flagg delivers on his potential — focus your budget there rather than spreading it across high-supply base cards.

Mantel Tracks It All

Historically, number one picks see their biggest price spike between draft night and their rookie-season debut — and if you are not positioned before that window opens, you are buying at the top. Wish List alerts on Mantel let you set targets on specific Bowman University Chrome parallels and upcoming Prizm rookies right now, so the moment a card hits your price you get notified and can act before the draft-night rush reprices the market. SLAM scores measure actual sales velocity, price trends, and liquidity to help you gauge whether pre-draft hype is translating into genuine accumulation or speculative flipping that will correct. Comps show what Flagg cards are actually selling for — not just what sellers are asking — essential context in a market where prices shift with every mock draft update. Real-time listings from eBay and Fanatics Collect are aggregated into one searchable feed, and the community of prospect collectors on Mantel share Duke-era pickups, debate the ceiling, and track every workout report and lottery projection together.

Position yourself before the breakout. The window between pre-draft hype and proven NBA production is where collecting opportunities are largest, and Mantel gives you the Wish List alerts, the data, and the community to be ready when it opens.