Courtyard used keep, flip, or ship data to build a tiered ranking of the cards collectors are most likely to hold

The 2026-27 NBA season tips off next Tuesday, but the basketball card market is already in midseason form.

Since the Knicks’ dramatic NBA Finals victory in June, NBA fans have largely been focused on LeBron’s move to the 76ers, because it wouldn’t be an offseason without The King commanding the vast majority of the attention. However, when it comes to cards, Michael Jordan inserts and Cooper Flagg’s Rookie Debut Patch stole the show this summer.

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As the world prepares for the NBA’s opening night tripleheader, which features the Knicks’ banner-raising, LeBron’s 76ers debut, Wemby vs. Shai round 2, and a matinee Pistons-Celtics clash, digital collectibles platform Courtyard, released an interesting take on their platform’s data with the introduction of a unique NBA tier list.

Unlike most player rankings floating around social media around ahead of a new season, this list isn’t based on on-court performance. Instead, Courtyard’s used data to showcase the players basketball collectors are most likely to hold—or sell—after they’re pulled from one of Courtyard’s basketball packs.

The Keep, Flip, Ship Hierarchy

On Courtyard, collectors who rip one of the company’s many digital basketball packs can take an instant buyback offer (flip) on their new, graded card, keep the card vaulted for free, or redeem it and have the physical version of the card shipped to them. Courtyard’s tier list ranks players by how collectors treated their pulls, with the S-Tier representing the players that collectors held onto the most, while the F-Tier represented the players that were most frequently flipped.

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A few placements stand out. Tyrese Maxey ranks above Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year. Donovan Clingan, who averaged a double-double last season and Pistons guard Ausar Thompson, who might find his shot one day, share a tier with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren, an All-Star and All-Defensive First Team selection last season, landed in the D-Tier, alongside Mikal Bridges, who helped the Knicks win their first title since 1973. Needless to say, collectors will have plenty of opinions about who is…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/courtyard-used-keep-flip-ship-001458416.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-20 00:14:00

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