Welcome to Rookies Regraded — our series revisiting the draft classes that shaped the hobby. We look back to see which players became stars, how their markets evolved, and whether the wax still holds up. Each installment breaks down the class, the key rookies, and today’s wax landscape to deliver one verdict: buy, rip, or skip.
So how does the 2020 NBA rookie crop stack up today? Let’s rip in.
Snapshot — What We Thought Then
This draft was different from the jump.
With the world in lockdown and the tail end of the 2019-20 season suspended, collectors had nothing but time — and they used every second of it obsessing over a class that felt, at the time, like it was three players deep.
LaMelo Ball had been on the hobby’s radar since high school. A 6-foot-7 lead guard who could run an offense, make elite reads, and flat-out create — his stint in Australia only added to the mystique. He came in as one of the most polarizing prospects in years, but the talent was never really in question.
Anthony Edwards was the easy pick for most explosive scorer in the class. The combination of strength, burst, and shot creation had scouts projecting him as a franchise-level player from day one. High-volume scorer. Fearless. The kind of guy who looked like he belonged before he ever played a minute.
James Wiseman was the consensus “safest” big in years. Seven-foot frame, elite mobility, and the kind of length that makes opposing coaches lose sleep. His flashes at Memphis had people projecting him as a dominant two-way center. The tools were real.
So how did it actually shake out?
The Class in Retrospect
S Tier: Faces of the Sport
Anthony Edwards
24.6 PPG • 5.2 REB • 3.7 AST • 18.2 PER • 15.8 VoRP (Value over Replacement Player)
4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 1x All-Star Game MVP | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $904.00
Minnesota chose wisely. Edwards isn't just the best player in this class. He's one of the most marketable stars in the league. Full stop.
Tier 1: Franchise Cornerstones
LaMelo Ball
20.8 PPG • 5.7 REB • 7.3 AST • 19.1 PER • 12.5 VoRP
Rookie of the Year, 1x All-Star | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $353
Charlotte took a shot on a high-upside player and got a star-level starter. Not bad.
Tyrese Haliburton
17.5 PPG • 3.7 REB • 8.8 AST • 20.6 PER • 18.9 VoRP
2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $355
The biggest surprise in the class, by a mile. What's even more surprising is that the Kings traded him.
Tier 2: Stars & High-End Contributors
Tyrese Maxey
21.1 PPG • 3.2 REB • 4.8 AST • 18.6 PER • 13.5 VoRP
2x All-Star, 1x Most Improved Player | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $354
A late bloomer, sure. But night in and night out, he makes the 76ers a better team. He always shows up when it matters.
Desmond Bane
18.3 PPG • 4.5 REB • 3.8 AST • 17.1 PER • 12.7 VoRP
N/A | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $55
Never the star, always there when you need him. One of the most consistent shooters in the league. Great for basketball, but not so much for collectability.
Deni Avdija
13.3 PPG • 6.3 REB • 3.4 AST • 14.4 PER • 6.0 VoRP
1x All-Star | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $276
Career numbers don't tell the whole story. Over the last two seasons, Avdija went from afterthought to legitimate contributor, and people are starting to notice. His card is the one to watch in this tier.
Tier 3: The What Ifs
Cole Anthony
12.0 PPG • 4.1 REB • 3.8 AST • 13.9 PER • 2.5 VoRP
N/A | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $15
He was supposed to be the centerpiece of the new-look Magic. Instead, he became a bench piece on a team that moved on without him. It happens.
James Wiseman
9.0 PPG • 5.5 REB • 0.8 AST • 14.4 PER • -1.5 VoRP
1x NBA Champion | Silver Prizm RC PSA 10: $6.50
The tools were always there. The development never came. A lost season to injury during his prime growth window set him back in ways he never recovered from. The ring is a nice footnote. The cards are not.
Verdict
Wiseman was a bust. No sugarcoating it. But this class ended up being a lot deeper than the "three players deep" narrative suggested. Edwards stands alone at the top. Four other guys with Silver Prizm PSA 10s north of $250? That's a solid class.
Market Check
Here's a quick look at the main products featuring these rookies, with current pricing.
2020-21 Prizm Basketball
Hobby Box: $1,220.00
Fast Break Hobby Box: $699.95
Mega Box: $112.95
Blaster Box: $64.95
Hanger Box: $39.95
Retail Box: $199.95
Cello Pack: $21.95
2020-21 Donruss Optic Basketball
Hobby Box: $524.95
Fast Break Hobby Box: $399.95
Mega Box: $89.95
Blaster Box: $39.95
Retail Box: $199.95
Cello Pack: $19.95
Complete Set: $79.95
2020-21 Select Basketball
Hobby Box: $700.00
H2 Hobby Box: $369.95
Mega Box: $99.95
Blaster Box: $39.95
Hanger Box: $25.95
Heads up on Select Retail⚠️
The base cards coming out of retail look nothing like hobby. Instead of the standard silver chrome finish, retail packs have a blue chrome backing. This was the first year Select offered a retail format, and the blue was a deliberate move to protect the prestige of the hobby product. Know what you're buying before you buy it.
2020-21 Donruss Basketball
Hobby Box: $399.95
Blaster Box: $33.00
Hanger Box: $19.99
Retail Box: $99.95
Retail Pack: $5.95
Prices as of 5/7/26
Sourced from Blowout, Steel City, Dave & Adams, and Market Movers
Hobby Report Card
Star Power: A-
One clear frontrunner in Edwards, backed by four legitimate hobby names. That's a real top-end.
Depth: B
Edwards is the only player in the class with a Silver Prizm selling north of $500. The Tier 1 and Tier 2 guys are solid, but they can be volatile. Price swings are part of the deal here.
Wax Prices: B+
Some boxes have crept up, but a lot of the wax is still sitting close to today's MSRP for newer products. No major upcharge on most formats.
Buy, Rip, or Skip
Verdict: Buy & Rip
This class gives you two plays. How you play this one depends on what you're after.
When you look at what the best base cards in this class are moving for, almost every release has at least one format we’d say is worth the rip. Almost. We’d probably stay away from Select. The PSA 10 base card prices aren’t compelling enough to justify the grind.
The wax we’re reaching for first? Prizm, followed by paper Donruss. It’s rare to see Prizm box prices this accessible for a product that’s more than five years old. The cost of entry isn’t far off what people are paying on the secondary market for current wax, and Prizm will always carry the highest ceiling for basketball cards. When we can get in at a reasonable price, we almost always will.
There’s also a real buy-and-hold case here, and it starts with one name: Tyrese Haliburton.
He sat out the entire season recovering from a torn Achilles. That’s more than enough time for the hobby to move on, and it did. His absence left Indiana with no direction. A 19-63 record is the proof.
But here’s where we’re watching closely: when Haliburton comes back next season and the Pacers return to form, the hobby will remember exactly how good he is. His return alone could send 2020 wax prices higher across the board. That’s a window worth getting in front of.
Our Takeaway
The 2020 class was undersold from the start. One franchise superstar in Edwards, a few late-bloomers still making noise in the hobby, and wax prices that haven’t priced out the average collector yet.
The buying window is open. The math makes sense. And with Haliburton’s return on the horizon, the timing might be better than it looks.
What do you think? Are you buying into the 2020 class, or passing all together? Drop your take in the comments.
Disclaimer: The content in The Hobby Wire is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Commentary, analysis, and opinions on sports cards, rookies, and the hobby are not financial, investment, or professional advice. Collectors should always do their own research before buying, selling, or trading cards. Market values are volatile and can change rapidly—past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Unless specified, all pricing references are based on the Prizm/Refractor parallels of an athlete’s Chrome rookie card, with prices from market movers, alt.xyz & 130pt.com.
Any odds mentioned were derived from DraftKings Sportsbook.