July 2026 Basketball Card Recap: Card Shows, LeBron, and a Vintage Comeback?
Card Shows, LeBron James, and the 76ers dominated the July headlines. I've got all that, and more, covered here.
Welcome to the Conor Collects Monthly Basketball Card Recap. If you’ve checked it out before - thanks for coming back. And if you’re new, I hope you learn something and enjoy it enough to come back.
July was a BEAST of a month for basketball cards, so let’s tip things off!
1. Opening Tip-Off
Overall grading activity increased to 3.61 million cards and was up 3% in July compared to June and up 54% year-over-year
Jordan was the most searched basketball player on eBay for the first half of 2026
PSA is expanding with a new location in Texas
Card Shows dominated in July with Fanatics Fest & The National
LeBron’s Philly move creates hobby mayhem
A 1/1 Wemby Kaboom sold for $1.44M - the highest basketball card sale in July
It looks like basketball card collectors are giving up on Banchero
I’m buying Dr. J and selling one big name on a new team
A little more love for OG Stadium Club Beam Teams
🎉🎉🎉🎉And last, but not least - After 4+ years of trying, I’m finally going to be working in the hobby full time! More to come! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Fun Fact: Upper Deck purchased 23 factory-sealed packs of 1986-87 Fleer Basketball cards. Michael Jordan signed those packs, and they will be inserted as redemptions into 2026 Goodwin Champions, Upper Deck’s annual multi-sport trading card set. Will you be buying Goodwin Champions?
2. Graded Card Trends & eBay Data📈
Total Grading Volume
Despite higher grading fees and plenty of economic uncertainty, collectors just keep sending cards to PSA and other grading companies.
According to the latest GemRate Report, grading volume looked to plateau in general with PSA again grading roughly 2.5 million cards while the other four key grading companies all saw bumps in grading volume.
Key Takeaways
PSA graded 2.49 million cards, more or less flat compared to June but up ~50% compared to last July.
Stats on basketball cards were not present in this month’s report, but if we use ~9% (based on past reports) we can safely assume about 220K basketball cards were graded in July.
Sports card volume dropped by 9% at PSA for the month of July. CGC (up 21%), SCG (up 12%), and TAG (up 55%) all saw monthly increases in sports card volume while Beckett saw a 21% pullback.
A few cool eBay stats:
Thanks to being part of the hobby media (something I’m still getting used to…) I sometimes get cool emails from folks at eBay and elsewhere with cool basketball card insights, so I want to share with you all!
On July 24 – when LeBron James announced he was signing with the Philadelphia 76ers – global eBay searches for the team increased more than 570% compared to the average day during the week prior (July 17-23, 2026).
Also on July 24 - global eBay users searched for “LeBron James” more than 3,700 times per hour! King James indeed!
During the first half of the year, the most-searched basketball players in eBay’s Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop category were Michael Jordan, Victor Wembanyama, Cooper Flagg, and Kobe Bryant. (Anyone surprised?)
3. Top Basketball Card Sales 💰
Three basketball cards accounted for more than $2.5 million in sales last month.
Top 3 Sales in July
#3 - $504,000 - A one-of-one PSA Authentic (with a 10 auto) 2008 Fleer Buyback ‘93 Ultra Scoring Kings Michael Jordan autograph (#5) sold on July 24, 2026. A stunning card no question, but I wish the image below captured more of the original Scoring Kings imagery, with the lightning and Scoring Kings icon in the bottom right. It’s there, but its so faint that you can hardly see it.
In case you were curious, the highest selling MJ 1993 Ultra Scoring Kings card was a PSA 10, that sold for $63,000 also on June 24, 2026. Both of these Scoring Kings cards were sold through Fanatics Premier.
#2 - $617,320 - A PSA 7 (w/ 10 auto) 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Limited Logos Kobe Bryant Autograph Patch (/75) sold on July 11, 2026.
Now no disrespect to Kobe, but how on earth is a Kobe PSA 7 serial numbered to 75 selling for this much? Sure, three color patch and on card auto help, but it’s just an image of Bryant’s head and its otherwise just a mediocre looking card.
Dare I say the Kobe market is getting too hot?
#1 - $1,443,133.20 - A PSA 9 2024 Panini Revolution Kaboom Green Victor Wembanyama (1/1) sold on July 9, 2026.
This matters because it highlights how the Wemby market has not shown any real signs of slowing down. This is now the second Wembanyama card to top $1M, an impressive feat for someone with no rings and no MVP awards.
For context, Nikola Jokic only has 1 card over $1M and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also only has 1 (and each of those barely crossed the $1M mark). SGA is an interesting one to compare to since his one-of-one PSA 10 Green Kaboom sold back in January, 2026 for $432,000. The reason I’m highlighting both of these players is because they’ve each won multiple MVP awards and an NBA Championship… two things Wemby lacks, yet his high end market puts those two players to shame. Does that make sense to you?
In my recent piece about a Yao Ming Kaboom sale I also highlighted the some fears around how Wemby’s career could in some ways pan out like Ming’s. If you’re interested, here is the link to that piece.
4. Player Trends: 🔥Hot & Not ❄️
Every month I like seeing where collectors are actually putting their money.
Note: I tightened the Card Ladder credentials from 15 cards to 25 to try and capture more signal rather than noise. I like these results and plan to hold it at 25 moving forward.
HOT 🔥🔥🔥
The three hottest players in July all benefitted from recent trade moves.
🔥Kristaps Porzingis🔥
Kristaps Porzingis agreed to 2-year, $40M deal with Warriors and hope springs eternal for the 7’2 Latvian journeyman. Could he be the missing piece for the Warriors?
Maybe, but I have my doubts.
As a Celtics fan, I wanted Porzingis to work more than almost anyone. When he played, he looked like a great fit. The problem was getting him on the floor.
He’s been limited to a total of 74 games in his last two seasons due to a mysterious illness along with Achilles tendinitis. In fact, when you look back at his 10-year career, he’s only had three seasons where he’s played more than 60 games.
“Tingus Pingus” just turned 31 on August 2nd and given his health concerns and limited playing time (especially these last 2 seasons), I just can’t get behind the July Porzingis market pop. Sorry Warriors fans.
🔥LaMelo Ball 🔥
Just like Porzingis, the LaMelo Ball market moved higher in July after he was traded to the Timberwolves in late June. As much as I hate to admit it, Ball is “a bucket” as the kids like to say. One stat that really stood out to me was his insane 99th percentile rank in on/off differential on offense, per Cleaning the Glass. He can both score and dish the rock, averaging 7.3 assists per game over the course of his career.
However, also like Porzingis, health and reliability are a major concern. Ball entered the league at just 19-years-old but over the course of his six year career he’s only managed two seasons playing more than 51 games.
He’s suffered multiple ankle sprains and fractures over the course of his short career and he’s undergone surgeries as well as incorporated ankle braces and minute restrictions to avoid re-aggravation.
The Ball market bounce is a great opportunity if you’re looking to sell, which makes Ball my top sell target for this month’s recap (more below).
🔥Moses Malone 🔥
A few years ago I probably would have ignored Moses Malone completely. Today, I'd rather own a scarce Hall of Famer than another overhyped prospect, and I think more people are coming to this same conclusion.
Before I explain, let’s back up to 2022 when there were several PSA 10 Moses Malone rookie cards (pop of 40) selling for $50K+, including one for $102,000! The market has cooled significantly since, with the highest seller this year closing at $19,520, but we’re starting to see another move higher for Big Mo.
Why?
The Moses Malone market is clearly benefitting from LeBron’s Philly move. There’s been some talk of how LeBron could be the 76ers missing piece, much like how the 76ers got Malone back in 1982 and won the NBA Championship that season.
The recent media coverage may also be coinciding with a broader trend toward scarce vintage sports cards. And honestly… it’s about time.
I suspect many collectors my age (early 40s) and older are looking to buy up undervalued vintage greats with lower populations, like Moses Malone, who was a 13x All-Star, 3x MVP, and the NBA Finals MVP after averaging 25.8 points and 18.0 rebounds per game in a 4-0 sweep against the Lakers.
As the 76er narratives continue to pick up steam when the season starts, I suspect the Malone market to continue to do well. Despite being up over 30% already, if you like vintage greats I think there’s still plenty of upside left for Big Mo.
NOT ❄️❄️❄️
❄️ Deandre Ayton ❄️
After five years in Phoenix, Deandre Ayton looks to be the latest in a long stretch of journeymen centers whose numbers are trending in the wrong direction.
He’s down to playing just 27 minutes per game which had dragged his PPG numbers down to 12.5 and last season was his first where he didn't average double-digit rebounds, grabbing just 8.0 per game.
After just one season in LA, Ayton was again traded to the Wizards – the franchise where players go to fade into obscurity. Collectors have collectively given up on Ayton and for good reason. Stay away!
❄️ Paolo Banchero ❄️
Paolo Banchero, the first overall draft pick in 2022 saw his market initially soar – as it so often does for top picks. While his raw stats remain impressive, averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and over 5 assists last season, he’s on a mid-level Magic team that didn’t get any stronger with this year’s NBA draft or with any big moves this summer.
As a result, the Magic are likely eyeing another mediocre season, which certainly puts a damper on Banchero’s market.
For the newest round of hype, collectors and flippers need to offload past players with limited upside, which is exactly how I’d describe the near-term Banchero market.
This is a great buying opportunity if you believe in Banchero, but I won’t be placing any Banchero bids anytime soon. Far too many other good options.
❄️ Jamal Murray ❄️
Jamal Murray is coming off his best regular season ever and his first ever All-Star appearance, which naturally pushed his card market to new heights.
But after an early Playoff exit at the hands of the Timberwolves due, in part, to a rough FG% playoffs from Murray, the Nuggets star guard is seeing his market sink in the off season. The West is also very strong (again…) so flippers and fair-weather Nuggets fans are likely looking for key players with higher upside potential.
This naturally creates a tantalizing buying opportunity for Murray and one that I think is actually worth considering, especially if you’re a Nuggets fan.
5. Trending Industry News 📰
July wasn't just about big card sales. It was one of the busiest months we’ve ever seen for the hobby itself.
Card Shows Dominate with Fanatics Fest & The National
The third annual Fanatics Fest was a major success, drawing close to 200,000 fans and collectors to the three-day event from July 16-18. Athletes and actors showed up in troves, including Tom Brady, KAT, Jalen Brunson, LeBron James, David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, Jay-Z, Kevin Hart, Jason Sudeikis, Livvy Dunn, and a bunch more!
Cooper Flagg also signed a Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card (1/1) at Fanatics Fest.
More on that story here: Cooper Flagg signs 1-of-1 rookie debut patch Topps card
The other major card show was the 46th National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago stretching from July 29 - August 2. Tons of basketball stars will be on site to sign autographs including: Dennis Rodman, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin McHale, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving, Walt Frazier, Bernard King, and many more.
I’m pretty bummed that I wasn’t able to attend either Fanatics Fest or The National this year but I’m already marking my calendar for next year. If any of you are going to either event, I’d love to connect!
PSA Expands To Texas
In order to address their 12+ million backlog, PSA announced they had a fully operational facility in Plano, Texas. With the facility, PSA hopes to have capacity to handle their backlog which grew in the month of July from ~11 million to 12.4 million.
More on that story here (by yours truly): PSA Opens New Texas Facility as Their Backlog Reaches 12.4 Million Cards
LeBron to Philly & Topps Now Card Record
On July 24, LeBron announced he would play his 24th NBA season with the 76ers. Topps seemed to be wise to this info ahead of time, because almost instantly they released a 2026-27 Topps Now Offseason card featuring him in a Sixers uniform, including an autographed 1/1 copy.
The LeBron Topps Now card also set a record for most sales, beating out Cooper Flagg by a narrow margin.
Wemby Sets Another Basketball Card Record
Collectors just can’t get enough of Victor Wembanyama. As highlighted above, Wemby was the only player in July to have a card cross $1 million with his one-of-one Green Kaboom!
Wemby now joins Lionel Messi as the only other athlete with a $1M+ Kaboom! sale and holds the record among all athletes for the highest selling Kaboom! The next closest basketball player is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with a one-of-one PSA 10 Green Kaboom! that sold for $432,000 in January 2026.
Despite my many warnings, everyone seems to be piling into the Wemby market.
6. One Player I’d Buy & One I’d Sell🎯
BUY Target
Vintage Julius Erving cards and/or autographed inserts
Example: 1975 Topps Julius Erving All-Star #300
Julius Erving’s market wasn’t low enough to make the “Not” list, but his market dipped a bit a little over 5% in July. If you appreciate vintage basketball icons (as you should), now is a fantastic time to pick up some Dr. J cards.
The vintage card market has been tragically out of favor for as long as I can remember and there are some very cool options to choose from for Erving. One good example is the one I highlighted above, the 1975 Topps ABA All-Star card (#300). Keep your eyes peeled for good raw or graded copies.
However, it looks like vintage cards for other sports (like baseball and soccer) are starting to get some much overdue love, at least according to SI’s weekly sports card sales report (which I authored) from July 27, 2026.
LeBron’s move to Philly only strengthens the case. If the Sixers make a deep playoff run, I think collectors will naturally revisit legends like Dr. J, just like we’ve recently seen with Patrick Ewing and Earl Monroe.
We are already seeing that play out with Moses Malone and the momentum will only increase if the 76ers get off to a strong start.
Plus, Dr. J highlights were some of the first basketball clips I obsessed over as a kid. I even had the chance to shake his hand once. In addition to being a basketball legend, he just seems like a nice guy, and personality matters to me.
If you’re looking for some awesome Dr. J cards, I’ve added to my eBay store and am linking to it via the button below. (Please note, any purchase made through my store helps me earn a small commission at no cost to you but its a cool way to support my work and add to your PC. I’m already up to $6.55 🤑)
And just for fun, check out this vintage 76ers theme song. But let me warn you, it’s one of those jingles that will stick with you for a very long time.
Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!
SELL
I almost picked Wemby for a third straight month, but I’ve made that case enough. If you’ve been reading since May, you already know where I stand.
So this month I’m selling LaMelo Ball.
Example: 2020-21 National Treasures LaMelo Ball Rookie Patch Autograph #130
The LaMelo Ball market is up over 40% this month after the news of him being traded to the Timberwolves to play alongside Anthony Edwards. But when you look back at history and compare the number two option to the number one guy, let me just tell you that its not pretty for the Scottie Pippens of the world.
Let’s just look at two of the best second options on teams that won multiple championships: Scottie Pippen and Dwyane Wade. Both phenomenal players (each one much better than Ball) but the highest for either player was $224K - which is actually much higher than I would have guessed.
That card was a BGS 9.5 Exquisite Collection D. Wade autograph rookie patch (/99) and it sold during peak card mania back in 2021. The highest selling Wade card since the start of 2025 was a 1/1 that sold for $66K and the highest selling Pippen card in that same period was also a 1/1 that sold for $150K.
I can almost guarantee that by the end of his career, LaMelo won’t hold a candle to either Wade or Pippen, and yet his highest selling card since the start of 2025 was a BGS 9 (10 auto) 1/1 National Treasures autographed logoman card (below) that sold for $176,473, a painfully high figure for a mid-tier second option.
Full disclosure: I’ve never been a Ball family fan, so yes, that probably biases me a bit. Even setting that aside, I still think the current prices assume a ceiling he probably never reaches.
For me, the numbers just aren’t making sense. I don't see LaMelo ever reaching Wade's career, and I certainly don't see his cards deserving Wade-level prices. That's why I'm selling into the hype.
But if there are any big Ball fans reading, I’d love to hear a counterargument.
7. What I’m Watching 👀
Last month my top topic to watch was where LeBron ends up and now its the 76ers card market, both past and present, now that Philly looks to be a top contender. The 76ers haven’t won a Championship in over 40 years so the comparisons to the Knicks are legit, but unlike the Knicks Philly has tons of hype before the season even starts so the market for LeBron and other iconic 76ers (Iverson, Dr. J, Barkley, etc.) could see strong upward momentum for a while.
Graded 1984-85 Michael Jordan Star rookie cards #101. This card has been absolutely on fire recently and while the image isn’t as iconic as the 1986 Fleer, these cards are FAR more scarce. There are only three MJ Star rookie cards with a PSA 9 grade, compared to over 3,000 for the Fleer card. Many view the 85 Star rookie as Jordan’s true rookie, so its a key one to watch.
Vince Carter rookie cards and cool inserts of him dunking - I can’t explain this one, but I’ve been on a big Vinsanity kick recently. I love those late 90s Raptors uniforms and Carter was one of my favorite players to watch during his Toronto days.
His reverse dunk Topps Chrome rookie card is iconic and he’s got a ton of other insane inserts out there. And apparently I’m not alone getting back into the VC market, his cards are up over 30% year-to-date.
[Non Basketball] - I’ll be keeping an eye on the Joe Jackson market over the next 12+ months. I’m convinced he gets into the HOF in 2028 and I think that story will send his cards soaring next year. I also loved the movie Field of Dreams as a kid, but who didn’t?
"People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”
The Shoeless Joe market is down about 5% over the past month and up only 12% year to date so there’s still plenty of time to grab a good SJJ card or two if you’re picking up what I’m putting down. Now is as good a time as any.
8. Insert of the Month 💎
✨1992-93 Stadium Club Beam Teams ✨
Keeping this section very short and sweet since I covered these beauties already with my first “Must Know Inserts” piece, but this is one of my favorite early 90s inserts featuring Michael Jordan and Shaq’s most valuable rookie card.
A PSA 10 Shaq Members Only Beam Team card just became the highest selling Beam Team card ever when it sold for $30,600 on July 5, 2026. Ungraded Jordan Beam Teams have been selling for around $1,600, so these cards are in high demand.
For more info on Beam Teams, check out Must Know Inserts #1!
9. Conor Collects Discounts 🏀🤑
To help you save a little cash and to help put a little money in my pocket, I’m forming partnerships that are exclusive to Conor Collects readers. Any purchases made using these codes will also help support my work, its a win/win! Thanks for your support!
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Please note: the above coupon is only valid for purchases of $40 or more and limits to one order per customer. Thanks!
10. Final Buzzer
July reaffirmed why I love this hobby so much.
Card shows are booming and LeBron moved markets. Collectors are slowly rediscovering vintage. The market looks like its (mostly) rewarding the right narratives and punishing players who aren’t living up to expectations. And, of course, the hype train remains full speed ahead even in the off season.
As always, I’d love to hear where you think I’m right or wrong. Just leave a comment—I read ‘em all.
And if you liked this recap or know someone who would, please send it along to a basketball card collector you know. Thanks!