All things considered, Cade Cunningham has been flying below the radar ever since his second year in the NBA started. Even with a good increase in his numbers, it seems that the Detroit Pistons' current record has overshadowed the potential of last year's number draft pick. As it stands, the market is doing the same to his NBA rookie cards. The thing is, where he is value-wise might just be the best thing collectors can hope for in Cunningham's card stock.
Although Cunningham remains to be one of the hottest names from last year's draft class, his value in the NBA card market isn't as high as many hoped it would be. We take a look below at why that's a good thing for those who collect or invest in NBA cards right now.
Cade Cunningham's sophomore campaign and its impact on his NBA rookie cards
There's a reason why Motor City went for Cunningham in last year's draft. The then-prospect showed a lot of potential for a team that sorely needs a franchise player to build its future on. And in his first year in the NBA, Cunningham displayed that said potential to fans and NBA card collectors alike.
In the 64 games he played last season, Cunningham averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 32.6 minutes per game. And while his 31.4% success rate from downtown won't scorch the league, it's his ability to play the point so effectively that can lift Detroit back to contention sooner than later. Of course, that can be clearly seen when the first pick from last year's NBA Draft led the Pistons to a 113-110 OT win over the Atlanta Hawks by notching 28 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in 43 minutes on the court.
Cunningham's memorable game against the Hawks last season would be drowned by the Pistons' lackluster record and the young guard's failure to win the Rookie of the Year award. Even if that's the case those who invested in Cade Cunningham rookie cards still believed he can truly take a leap that will propel his stock to new heights. Of course, for Detroit's star to that, his sophomore campaign should reflect the level of progress everyone is expecting him to take.
In his second year in the league, Cunningham is currently posting 21.4 points, 6 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and a single steal in 34.1 minutes per game. While his 31% success rate from beyond the arc needs some improvement, his ability to run the point, set his team up, and get the bucket in the process is certainly keeping NBA card collectors locked in on his stock in the market. This is very evident, of course, when he led Detroit to a 128-114 victory over the Golden State Warriors late last month.
During that contest, Cunningham was all over the place by posting 23 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and a block in 39 minutes on the court. Even with four fouls and turnovers during that game, last year's first pick was the biggest factor in conquering the reigning champions.
But even with huge games like that, the Pistons' star is still flying below the radar, both in the NBA card market and among fans themselves. Some factors that contribute to this are Detroit's poor record right now and other young stars getting most of the attention in the hobby, such as Luka Doncic or Ja Morant cards. All of these elements, and possibly even more, are driving those Cade Cunningham cards lower than most collectors anticipated. While this may seem a loss at first, it's an opportunity that many in the hobby would really benefit from.
The state of Cade Cunningham rookie cards
As it stands, Cade Cunningham cards aren't really setting the market on fire. As compared to other stocks, such as those bearing the images of Luka Doncic or Ja Morant, the Pistons' young guard is still on a downward trend in the hobby. Case in point, his PSA 10 Prizm base rookie card.
In a three-month graph by Card Ladder, the said card has gone down from $300 to its current price of $112. Doing the math, that's a little more than a 62% drop during that timespan. Thankfully, his PSA 10 Prizm Silver rookie card, arguably the more valuable variant than the base card, has gone up by 8% from $889 to $960, as shown in another Card Ladder graph.
In any case, these numbers aren't game-changing nor will they turn the tide in Cunningham's favor in the card market. Of course, the season is still young and anything can happen in the following months.
The verdict on Cade Cunningham cards
To put it simply, the way to go for those Cade Cunningham cards, especially his rookie offerings, is to scoop them up while they're low. There's no denying that he is the Pistons' best player and his talent is something that will continually improve in the coming years. His rookie cards, meanwhile, may become more valuable during that timespan.
In this scenario, it's best to err on the side of caution and invest more in low-hanging Cade Cunningham rookie cards in the market. NBA card collectors and investors alike should strike whilst the iron is hot, or while Detroit is still finding its momentum with the young core they have. In any case, there's really no reason not to get Cunningham's stock at the price levels they're in right now.
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