The NBA Hobby Waiver Wire: Collectibles Buy/Sell Guide Vol. 2 – Week 12/1/25

The calendar has flipped to December, and the NBA season is officially settling into its rhythm. We’ve had enough sample size to distinguish real trends from “hot games,” and the storylines are building. The Lakers are making headlines with a certain G League call-up named James returning to the fold, the Pistons are somehow leading the East, and Giannis just deleted all his Bucks IG photos. 

This is our second NBA Hobby Waiver Wire of the season. If you caught the first one, you know the drill, but for the newcomers: our goal is to help you make smarter buy, sell, and hold decisions based on what is actually happening on the court using Fantasy Basketball stats.

For consistency, we are using the Prizm Silver Rookie PSA 10 as our main guidepost. It’s the gold standard (well, silver standard) for modern tracking.

Here is who should be on your radar this week.

The MIP Favorites

Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers 

Prizm Silver Rookie PSA 10 Price: Preseason ~$100 → ~$200 

PSA 10 Pop: 180

Deni Avdija is playing elite basketball right now. Full stop. Freed from the purgatory of those old Wizards teams, he has found a massive role in Portland and is currently playing like the frontrunner for Most Improved Player. Over the last seven days, he’s averaging a triple-double: 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10.7 assists.

His hobby market was hamstringed from the start by his draft situation, but people are waking up. His Silver PSA 10 has doubled from its preseason floor of ~$100 to sit around $200 today. While that is a 100% jump, he is still cheap compared to other budding superstars with this kind of stat profile. If you can grab a Gem Mint copy for under $200, it might be the smartest pickup you make all season.

Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons 

Prizm Silver Rookie PSA 10 Price: Preseason $75 → ~$75 

PSA 10 Pop: 92

There is a new big man on campus in the Motor City. Jalen Duren has taken a massive leap this year, significantly improving his play from previous seasons and anchoring a Pistons team that currently leads the Eastern Conference (yes, you read that right). He’s averaging a double-double on the season and has ramped it up recently, posting 16.3 points and 13 boards over the last week.

Despite having some of the best odds to win MIP and playing alongside a rocketship in Cade Cunningham, Duren’s prices haven’t budged much yet. His preseason Silver PSA 10 price of $75 is still largely intact. The market is napping on this. If you can grab this card for under $100, it’s a solid ticket to the Pistons’ hype parade.

The Takeover

Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks 

Prizm Silver Rookie PSA 10 Price: Preseason ~$150 → ~$220 

PSA 10 Pop: 133

Hawks power forward Jalen Johnson is playing the best basketball of his life. In the past seven days alone, he has averaged a monstrous 33 points, 13 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and a steal. He isn’t just a role player anymore; he is making a legitimate push for his first All-Star appearance.

The bigger narrative here is the “whose team is it?” question. This doesn’t feel like it just belongs to Trae Young anymore. Johnson’s Prizm Silver PSA 10 has seen at least one recorded sale over $300, though most settle around the ~$220 range. If you subscribe to the theory that Trae might be leaving Atlanta by season’s end, this is your window to invest in the next face of the franchise before he truly explodes.

Rotation solidify-er

Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets 

Prizm Silver Rookie PSA 10 Price: Preseason ~$200 → ~$220 

PSA 10 Pop: 76

Reed Sheppard has spent the last week proving he belongs in the starting five. Averaging 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2 steals, and 1.3 blocks over the last seven days, he is stuffing the stat sheet in every category. More importantly, the Rockets have won their last three road games with him in the starting lineup. You’re feeling pretty good right now if you’re Reed Sheppard. His Prizm Silver Rookie PSA 10 was sitting around $200 before the season and has slowly climbed to $220. It’s a modest gain, but if you look back at May 2025 these were trading closer to $300. That gap suggests there is still room to run as he solidifies his role. This feels like a strong hold or a buy if you believe the starting job is his for keeps.

The Verdict

We are seeing a clear theme this week: opportunity. Whether it’s Duren’s stagnant prices despite team success or Deni’s breakout in a new city, the market hasn’t fully priced in the last two weeks of production.

Remember to check your comps and track your collection on Mantel to stay ahead of the shifts. 

See you next week.