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It has been a pretty rough decade for the Sacramento Kings. Those who have stuck through thick and thin with this team have already seen it all. Head-scratching roster decisions, a toxic culture, and a playoff drought that has no end in sight. With the way Sactown has been playing this season, there’s reason enough to believe that the worst is not yet over.
But even though the Kings aren’t getting out of the dumpster this year, they have some solid reasons to be optimistic for the future. One is rookie Tyrese Haliburton.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Iowa State has played 33 games for the Kings this season and started in two of them. In those contests, Haliburton has respectable averages of 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He’s also hitting 48.0% from the field, 42.3% from the perimeter, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
Considered by many as the steal of the draft, Haliburton is making his presence felt in each game he plays. While the Kings are on a downward trend right now, there remains a lot of optimism and hope when it comes to Haliburton’s development.
And speaking of development, we take a look below how Sactown’s top rookie has performed, specifically in the last three contests. At the same time, we examine the impact of Haliburton’s performance on the value of his cards throughout the 33 games he has played so far in his rookie season.
Haliburton's last 3 games
The Kings’ last three games were against one team in the West and two in the East: Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and Charlotte Hornets. This stretch started last Thursday in a contest against Space City.
In that game, Haliburton posted a measly stat line of five points, three rebounds, two assists, and a block while spending 18 minutes on the court. Essentially, he was a non-factor in Sacramento’s 125-105 win.
After the victory at home, the Kings proceeded to Atlanta to face Trae Young and the Hawks. Again, Haliburton didn’t dazzle nor dominate the game. He posted eight points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 24 minutes on the court.
Last but not least is the Kings’ game against the Charlotte Hornets last Monday. Haliburton was even more quiet during this contest than the previous two. In 28 minutes, he tallied four points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. He also committed four fouls in his entire time on the court.
As you can see from the numbers above, Haliburton was given an average of over 23 minutes during those games, only to produce subpar numbers. He clearly needs to raise his game in order to help Sacramento string a series of wins and get a chance to compete in the play-in tournament.
The Tyrese Haliburton rookie card market
Haliburton’s hottest offering right now, his 2020-21 Donruss Rated Rookie card, came right out the bat with guns blazing. The first recorded sale on eBay at the start of March notched a $40 price tag. This is understandable because the hype for a new card product usually results in an expensive price during its release.
Haliburton’s Donruss card has since cooled off, with a low point of $8 on eBay. As of this writing, the aforementioned card has settled somewhere between $10.5 and $17.5.
The verdict on Tyrese Haliburton cards
A rookie on a losing team with unimpressive numbers is a recipe for disaster. Haliburton needs to up his game to maintain the attention of card fans everywhere. If that doesn’t happen, his value will definitely take a hit.
Of course, this is the ideal time to pounce in. When a player experiences a slump, his card price will go down. This is a good chance to nab those Tyrese Haliburton cards while they’re really low. At some point this season or the next, he’s going to take a leap and so will his stock. It’s best to invest now while Haliburton’s value is low so you can cash in when he trends up in the future.
