Trae Young is the perfect player for sports cards. He is an explosive talent and an up-and-coming NBA star poised to become one of the NBA's best. The value in getting a Trae Young Rookie Card early is apparent, especially looking at the price of some of these basketball cards, so if you got in early, congratulations! With that said, let's get some back story on what Trae Young is all about.
Who is Trae Young?
Trae Young is one of the rising stars in the NBA. Playing for the Atlanta Hawks, his early career was filled with drama, as he was part of a draft-day trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks. While Doncic has blossomed into an MVP candidate, Trae Young has also exploded onto the scene as a dynamic offensive maestro that has already led his Hawks to the Conference Finals despite his young age. He is a two-time NBA All-Star and was a unanimous selection onto the All-Rookie First Team.
In 2017, Trae became the only player in NCAA history to lead the league in both points and assists in a single season. He also tied the Division 1 single-game assists record with 22.
While many compared his game to Steph Curry, he plays similarly to another point guard, Steve Nash. Trae is closer in height to the smaller Steve Nash and orchestrates the offense to precision like the two-time MVP did when Nash led the Phoenix Suns. We'll see if Trae ever reaches MVP-level consideration, but there is a chance.
With that said, let's look at the highest-priced Trae Young basketball cards.
The Most Expensive Trae Young Basketball Cards Ever Sold
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2018 Panini Prizm Black Prizms Trae Young ROOKIE RC 1/1 #78 BGS 9 MINT
$444,000.00
The most expensive Trae Young card ever sold is a 2018 Panini Prizm Black Trae Young Rookie for $444,000 on August 22, 2021.
This card is a unique 1/1, which raises the value substantially. Trae Young is an excellent bet on future value, as the young guard has already made waves in the league as a dynamic offensive threat. With excellent passing, handles, and shooting, Trae should continue to be a destructive force in the league for many years.
Let's look at what the PWCC Auction page has to say about this incredible card.
Offered is the all-important Prizm Black Prizms Trae Young, one of his most prestigious and desired rookie cards in existence. This parallel is a true one-of-one, notated by the 1 of 1 serial stamp on the reverse. A whisker away from the overall ‘9.5' assessment, boasting two '10' pristine sub-grades in corners and edges. Perfectly centered with the fragile shiny surfaces presenting extremely well for the sub-grade assigned. Trae Young is the anchor to the talented young Atlanta Hawks franchise which made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals this season. Trae continues to improve and is arguably a top ten talent in the league currently. We love the investment future on this rookie rarity as the Hawks will likely be strong contenders over the next five years.
2018-19 Panini Prizm Choice Nebula Prizm #78 Trae Young Rookie Card (#1/1) – PSA GEM MT 10
$391,200.00
2018 Panini Prizm Signatures Black Prizm Trae Young ROOKIE AUTO 1/1 #5 BGS 9.5
$276,000.00
Trae Young isn't the tallest NBA player, but on this card, he can be seen attempting what is undoubtedly a shot at the rim. His ability to use his body control and guile to create scoring opportunities at every spot on the floor makes Trae a special player.
The autograph, high PSA grade, and the card is a 1 of 1 make this a highly collectible Trae Young Rookie Card worthy of its high selling price. This basketball card sold for its high of $260,000 on March 20, 2022, and also sold for $145,200 on August 11, 2011.
As a writer, embellishment can sometimes be a part of the job. However, I feel even Trae Young, and Atlanta Hawks fans can laugh at this great line from the GoldinAuctions page.
Any fan who watched the NBA playoffs last season had to be captivated by Trae Young’s performance. If not for a fluke encounter with a referee’s foot, Young likely would have guided Atlanta to their first NBA championship since 1958.
Sorry buddy, stick to cards. The likelihood of Trae Young leading Atlanta to a championship in 2021 was similar to my chances of getting a girlfriend. Considering how I'm into sports, it's pretty low. Kidding!
2018-19 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Auto (RPA) Gold #103 Trae Young Signed Rookie Patch Card (#03/10) – BGS GEM MINT 9.5/BGS 10
$198,030.00
2018 Panini Prizm Gold Prizms Trae Young ROOKIE /10 #78 PSA 10 GEM MINT
$180,000.00
2018-19 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Autographs #103 Trae Young Signed Patch Rookie Card (#47/99) – PSA GEM MT 10, PSA/DNA 10
$144,000.00
If you're looking at this card and thinking, “hey, it's the same as that other Trae Young card on this list. Why is it worth so much less? It's even a GEM MT 10. Shouldn't it be higher?”
Well, you had my exact reaction when looking at this card. However, let me guide your eyes to the most critical factor here, the #47/99 on this basketball card, compared to the #3/10 on the card above. Even though they're the same, one of the cards is one of ninety-nine, and the other is one of ten.
2018-19 Panini Prizm Rookie Signatures White Sparkle Prizm #RS-TYG Trae Young Signed Rookie Card (#1/1) – BGS GEM MINT 9.5/BGS 10
$121,200.00
Are you as shocked as I am that there is another Panini Prizm Rookie Trae Young Card, and it's different than the others? This card is similar but features the “White Sparkle” that you can see in the title. It's very noticeable and adds some flair to this card. As it stands, this is the fourth Panini Prizm to grace this list.
The GoldinAuction page mentions that Trae Young is one of the most lethal long-range marksmen in the league, which is true to a point. He's a great shooter from a distance, but sporting a .354 career percentage from 3 doesn't make him one of the most lethal. He's good enough that defenders have to respect it, but his shooting opens up the floor to allow him to slice through driving lanes and set up his teammates for great shots.
2018-19 Panini Flawless Logoman #LM-TYG Trae Young Rookie Card (#1/1) – BGS GEM MINT 9.5
$93,480.00
