Luka Doncic has set himself up to be the future of the NBA. The third overall draft selection in
2018 has had a great start to his career and looks to be one of the best players in the league for
the considerable future.
With Luka being such a young exciting player, he is a great option for investors but with so
many of the best Luka Doncic rookie cards created it can be hard to tell which ones to buy. Below we have outlined the five best cards as well as three more underrated cards that are worth looking at.
Doncic was born in Slovenia and by the age of 16 was playing professional basketball for Real
Madrid’s men’s team in Spain. He was the youngest player to ever play for the club and the
third youngest to ever play in the Spanish professional league.
It wasn’t until the next season that Doncic would become a regular with Real Madrid and NBA
fans were offered their first glimpse of the young phenom as he played a preseason game
against the Boston Celtics. Doncic was still just a teenager and barely played in that game but
the fact that he could hold his own against grown men at such a young age was a good omen
for things to come.
Doncic would experience a breakout season in 2016-17 with Real Madrid as his game continued
to develop and he physically matured. He was part of a draft day trade between the Atlanta
Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks and found himself in Dallas when all was done. Luka follows in
the footsteps of former Dallas Maverick legend Dirk Nowitzki as the new European star of the
Texas-based team.
Best Five Cards
2018-19 Panini Opulence Luka Doncic Rookie Patch Auto Gold /10 #145
Panini Opulence is a luxury set where every card is limited to at most 99 copies and the 2018-19
set included this rookie Luka Doncic card. This card features an autograph as well as a patch on
top of the ultra-lux gold design of the card.
With only ten of these cards made the price will be high. Luka has exceeded expectations at
every level of basketball and as he continues to perform, he only raises the standard that
people expect from him.
This card would be a good choice for investors as it’s one of the most luxurious cards as well as
one that is very scarce, a great combination for a high price. If Doncic can become an NBA
legend this could be his signature card, and if you purchased it while Doncic was still incredibly
young it could turn out to be one of the better investments across all sports cards.
Expect this card to be expensive but as Doncic continues to excel the price will only rise and the
large upfront investment can turn into a much larger reward down the road.
2018-19 Panini National Treasures Luka Doncic RC Auto Patch #127 /99
National Treasures is a luxury collection and this Doncic card is the epitome of luxury. The card
features a huge patch of jersey as well as has Doncic’s autograph. In addition, the card was
limited to only 99 copies ensuring that it will keep its value because of scarcity.
This may be one of the most popular Luka Doncic rookie card and therefore would be an
excellent choice for investors.
Very few NBA players have ever done what Luka is doing at such a young age and while it’s impossible to say exactly what the future holds, odds are it’s plenty of accolades and accomplishments for the young Slovenian superstar.
2018-19 Panini Prizm Luka Doncic RC #280
When it comes to basketball brands, Panini Prizm is one of the more popular sets. Any
experienced collector of NBA cards will be familiar with the set and probably own some cards
from it.
These cards are fairly common and do not provide nearly the same amount of luxury when
compared to a card like the National Treasures one mentioned above. For casual collectors, this
card could be an investment option to buy multiple of, but it will not provide the same
potential profits as purchasing a more luxurious card would.
Still, with Prizm being such a recognized brand in the basketball card industry this card will
always have that going for it and that aspect helps its case as an investment option. For
beginners this is a great option.
2018-19 Panini Contenders Luka Doncic RC Auto #122
The Panini Contenders set has a Rookie Ticket Autograph subset that this card belongs to. The
Rookie Ticket Autograph subset is well known and thus the brand should hold its value. It
features a game-like ticket on the left with the autograph on the bottom part of the card.
The appealing visual nature of the card alongside its strong branding should mean that this card
retains its value well and is highly sought after. The autograph only adds to the card and the
fact that it is on the card rather than a piece of fabric ensures that it will keep well.
This card would be a great investment choice for Doncic fans as it is one of the young stars
premier rookie cards and should keep great value. As Doncic’s career progresses this card will
increase in value relative to how well Doncic can continue to perform. For Doncic believers,
this is a great card.
2018-19 Donruss Optic Luka Doncic Rookie Card #177
This card is a premium version of the base Donruss Doncic rookie card. It’s a part of the Rated
Rookies subset and can be found for a reasonable price as these Donruss Optic cards are not
extremely rare. This card does have a large number of parallels of varying rarities to be found in
packs.
As an investment option, this card has lower risk and reward due to the abundance of
production resulting in a high supply. With such a high supply this card could never reach the
sky-high prices of other Doncic cards but could still be a good investment if bought in high
enough quantity.
Three Most Underrated Cards
2016-17 Upper Deck Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Rainbow Luka Doncic
#23
These cards are the first ones produced that picture Doncic and were created while he still
played in Europe while he was a teenager. These cards were digital only and were available to
be bought through digital packs, yet the rainbow parallels were produced by Upper Deck as
physical cards as well.
This card may not receive the same fanfare as other Doncic cards because of the fact that it’s
not an NBA card, yet that is just another unique aspect and can actually help the card as an
investment option.
Unique aspects of a card always drive the price up and for that reason this unique card could be
a great option for investors. Luka will leave a legacy as a great European player as well as a
great player in North America and with their being fewer editions of European cards this could
be a great option.
Another factor to consider is the fact that collectors based in Europe may want this card for
their collection as it represents their continent and the superstar that played there. This card
could be the premier Doncic card that European fans are after and therefore command a high
price.
2018-19 Panini Noir Luka Doncic RPA RC Rookie Patch Auto /99 #303
This Luka Doncic card is one of the most visually attractive cards on the market and when
combined with its scarcity makes it a great option for investors. The card is in black and white
and features both a patch as well as an autograph.
This card is a great option for investors and is limited to only 99 copies so the scarcity will keep
the value high. Any card that checks the boxes of being printed in limited numbers, has an
autograph and patch, and is visually appealing will likely be a good option.
2018-19 Panini Threads Rookie Card Luka Doncic #101
The Panini Threads collection is known for their cards designed as jerseys and this one featuring
Luka Doncic could be a great under the radar option for investors. This one features Doncic
pictured against the white Mavericks jersey as he holds the ball.
This card, while it does not feature an autograph or patch, could be an option for investors as
its part of a strong set and in good condition will be expected to rise in price alongside Doncic’s
career.
Investment Outlook
If it was only possible to invest in one NBA player at the moment Doncic would have a very
strong argument as to why that player should be him. He has had an incredible start to his
career and this season was in the MVP conversation at just 21 years of age.
The Mavericks have added big man Kristaps Porzingis to help Doncic but they will need to do
more. As they gather pieces to help Doncic on the court the Mavericks could be set up to be
prime contenders for the next decade at least.
Considering that Luka was in the running for MVP this season and it was just his second season,
it seems likely that he will manage to win at least one in his career. As he reaches these
accolades and awards the hype will build around his name and his cards will continue to
increase in value.
We live in an increasing digital age and Doncic will be one of the first superstars that can fully
capitalize on social media to increase his brand. The NBA is growing globally and the fact that
Doncic is from Europe means that they will promote him heavily.
This should result in people from all corners of the world hearing about Doncic and the amazing
things he can do on the court. All this attention and exposure will only do good things for his
cards and their prices. Investors should be happy as they watch Doncic get interviewed in
different languages and broadcasted on all types of platforms.
In the end, we have seen very few players who can do the things that Doncic does on the
basketball court at any age, and the fact that he is succeeding while he is so young is exciting
not only for investors but for fans of basketball in general. To watch him control the play is
something truly amazing and Doncic seems to be on the path to etching his name into basketball lore