Matas Buzelis has quickly morphed from a question mark in last year’s NBA Draft into one of its brightest exclamation points, catching both fans’ and collectors’ eyes with equal intensity. The 6’10” rookie from the Chicago Bulls had a sensational breakout game against the Los Angeles Lakers, notching a career-high 31 points and a highlight dunk that left spectators and card collectors in awe. If card values are any indication, Buzelis is not only lighting up statues but also creating ripples in the hobby market.
Drafted 11th overall, Buzelis entered the NBA with a cloud of questions circling his head, balanced precariously with flashes of undeniable potential. As the season has progressed, particularly following the All-Star break, those questions have begun to dissolve in the spotlight of his increasingly impressive performances. His 31-point display against the Lakers wasn’t just another game. It was a showcase of his talent, complete with an electrifying, gravity-defying dunk over none other than Luka Doncic—a moment now fast becoming part of NBA lore.
This wasn’t a performance that could be chalked up to mere happenstance. Buzelis has been logging more minutes—a jump to 25.8 per game since the All-Star pause—and his statistics echo the development. Averaging just shy of a dozen points (11.9), along with 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and almost a block per game, he is quickly becoming a crucial cog in the Bulls’ machinery as they pivot to a more dynamic, up-tempo style of basketball.
If the echoes of applause are resonating through arenas across the country, they’re ricocheting loudly in the halls of card collectors, too. Suddenly, Buzelis cards are the hot commodity du jour. March alone saw Card Ladder tracking a staggering 2,731 Buzelis card sales, indicating a collectors’ frenzy that includes 18 individual sales surpassing the $1,000 mark. The figures reflect a sharp interest spike since Panini’s 2024-25 Prizm NBA release—a shift as dynamic as Buzelis’s court-side performances.
Consider this: his pre-Prizm card values peaked at a mere $700, for a 2024 Prizm Draft Picks Black Prizm Auto 1/1. Post-release, those numbers have skyrocketed. Two particular cards have surpassed the $2,000 ceiling, namely the 2024-25 Panini Prizm Green Shimmer Rookie /5 at $2,150 and the Panini Prizm Snakeskin Auto /15 at an eyebrow-raising $2,194.69.
Where does Buzelis stand among his rookie peers? Quite favorably, it seems. While the number one pick, Zacharie Risacher, experienced five four-figure card sales in March, and Alexandre Sarr saw only one, it’s Stephon Castle, a strong Rookie of the Year contender, who leads the rookie card sales race with 16 four-figure card transactions. Buzelis, however, isn’t trailing far behind, boasting an impressive count of eighteen—and the cards are still dealing.
Buzelis has risen to prominence with more than just stats and sales. Unlike several of his contemporaries, Buzelis wasn’t ushered into the season beneath the blinding spotlight of collective expectation. Yet here he is, creating his own bright lights, compelling market attention as his game speaks volumes that collectors, scouts, and fans can’t ignore.
With Chicago transitioning from the era of DeRozan and LaVine, Matas Buzelis has found an expanding role within the team’s emerging structure. Buoyed by the speedy play of Coby White and the precision-guided vision of Josh Giddey, Buzelis has carved out a niche where he now leads the team in dunks—a statistic that belies the confidence he gains with every passing matchup.
For a class of rookies that didn’t arrive with a band of anticipatory fanfare, Matas Buzelis is proving to be one of the season’s most intriguing discoveries. His combination of size, skill, and fluidity already casts him as a player with one of the highest ceilings within his rookie class. Provided this upward trajectory continues, the buzz surrounding him will likely crescendo, not just in popularity but in the tangible volume of card sales, which are currently riding a wave only buoyed by his flair on the court.
At just 20, Matas Buzelis might still be harboring undercurrents of untapped potential, but he’s playing with a poise and maturation that ensure he does not go unnoticed. With each awe-inspiring play, he’s crafting a narrative woven with curiosity and promise, leaving fans, viewers, and collectors wondering just how far this soaring talent can go.
