In a league continuously looking for the next big thing—and collectors constantly seeking their next great investment—Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls is emerging as something of both. As the 11th overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, Buzelis was hardly the headliner when he first donned a Bulls jersey. Basketball enthusiasts and card collectors alike wore their skepticism like a reluctant neon bib, but as his rookie season unfolds, Buzelis is showcasing more than flashes of brilliance—he’s electrifying the arena and the trading card world alike.
The gentle rocking of waves seldom heralds a storm; however, Buzelis has turned what looked like a trickle into a full-blown surge. The 6-foot-10-inch forward set the stage ablaze in a recent showdown against the proverbial giant, the Los Angeles Lakers, racking a career-high 31 points as he orchestrated plays with the finesse of a maestro. Beyond the quantifiable numbers, it was the panache and confidence with which Buzelis played that captured attention. A highlight moment came as he left Luka Doncic in his wake before elevating theatrically for a one-handed dunk—a gravity-defying spectacle that breathed life into what had otherwise been a run-of-the-mill contest. The packed arena echoed with a crescendo of cheers, announcing a star in the making.
Yet, the crescendo extends beyond the roar of a Chicago crowd and reverberates into the realm of collectors and investors, where cardboard counterparts of players rise and fall with Championship aspirations. With Buzelis’ emergence post-All-Star break, he has become a sought-after commodity, with an upwards trajectory mirrored in the card market. Since March began, sales have skyrocketed—2,731 Buzelis cards left collectors’ vaults for new homes, with eighteen of those transactions exceeding the grand threshold of $1,000. Prior to Panini’s 2024-25 Prizm NBA release, such values were unthinkable.
His most notable pre-Prizm moment came in January with a jaw-dropping sale of a Prizm Draft Picks Black Prizm Auto 1/1 for $700—seemingly a whisper before the candle of a hurricane. Fast forward to Prizm NBA’s release, and two of Buzelis’ cards galloped past the $2,000 mark, marking a new high tide for this rookie:
– 2024-25 Panini Prizm Green Shimmer Rookie /5 – $2,150
– 2024-25 Panini Prizm Snakeskin Auto /15 – $2,194.69
Buzelis’ presence amongst fellow rookies becomes more profound with each passing day. Within the month of March alone, the top draft pick Zacharie Risacher has enjoyed five four-figure card sales, Alexandre Sarr one, and Stephon Castle—a prominent Rookie of the Year contender—sixteen. In this landscape, Buzelis trumps with eighteen strong sales, painting a picture of value appreciation and demand. Remarkably, Buzelis made his entrance to this season without the fanfare or heralding usually reserved for others in his position, rendering his rise to collectible prominence a pure testament to his performance on parquet.
With the Bulls meandering away from the dominance of the DeRozan-LaVine era, a youthful, dynamic core begins to coalesce around speedster Coby White and the visionary Josh Giddey, alongside Buzelis carving out a prominent role. His team-leading number of dunks and palpable confidence levels are testament to how deeply he’s integrated into the team’s vibrant tapestry. A supposed sleeper in the draft outlines, Buzelis is waking up more than just crowds, but entire markets. Such is the magnetism of his performances that bears a promising whiff of what could ll too soon be greatness.
None too green at 20, Buzelis’ poise betrays his age, weaving together a crimson-and-white thread of performances too riveting for both casual observers and seasoned collectors to overlook. If momentum holds course, his cards’ buzz won’t just endure; it will swell, forging a narrative that collectors, and likely fulfilled investors, will follow towards a profitable end. On this current path, Buzelis may well eclipse the initial shadows of expectation cast upon him, embracing not just the spotlight but perhaps the stature of a franchise cornerstone in the grand theatre of the NBA.
