On Wednesday April 23rd it was announced by the NBA that Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks won the 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year and collectors are certainly in a frenzy over Brunson’s newly elevated status among the best of the best. Known for his fearless approach to the game and his mission-critical leadership at the times it mattered the most, Brunson’s recognition is not only a career milestone, but also an important catalyst that could contribute to driving his graded card market to new heights.
With that said, I wanted to highlight two cards that I think are key for any basketball card collectors, anyone who’s a fan of either the New York Knicks or Jalen Brunson, and anyone who admires low-population PSA 10 autographed cards.
2018 Panini Contenders Optic Cracked Ice /25 (PSA 10) (Card No. 105) – Certainly considered to be one of the most coveted of Brunson’s rookie autos, the Blue Parallel (/99) is a visually stunning card that not only has a limited print run for the raw versions of this card, but also for the graded version of this card. As the latest data will indicate there are only four (4) cards that have ever received a PSA 10 Gem Mint grade from the folks at PSA. From a pricing perspective, a March 3rd auction saw this card sell for $4,594.
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2021 Panini Mosaic Fusion Red Yellow Choice Prizm Autograph (PSA 10) – Although not as hyped as the 2018 Contenders Optic Cracked Ice Auto, the fiery and vibrant Mosaic Fusion Red Yellow Choice Prizm Autograph offers collectors a much more affordable point of entry into Brunson’s graded autograph card market. The latest data will indicates there are only twelve (12) cards that have ever received a PSA 10 Gem Mint grade from the folks at PSA, and from a pricing perspective, a January auction saw this card sell for $200 which more recent listings are asking upwards of $250.
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As New York Knicks find themselves deadlocked heading into Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons, all eyes will be on Brunson to see how well his regular season clutch play translates into the realm of high-pressure playoff games. If Brunson experiences similar success in the playoffs, there’s a very could chance both of these cards could start selling for much higher in the coming days and weeks.
