Mavericks' Cooper Flagg signs NBA Rookie Debut Patch card, expected to be worth more than $1 million
During an appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York on Friday, NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg helped boost the value of what's sure to be one of the top sports collectibles.
Flagg signed his one-of-one Rookie Debut Patch Autographed (RDPA) card from Topps in a private room before appearing on stage with ESPN's Kevin Negandhi.
"I was a little nervous," Flagg told Negandhi. "I've signed a lot of cards, but that one was a little nerve-wracking."
Cooper Flagg just signed his 1-of-1 NBA Debut Patch Autograph card: "I'm a little nervous" 😅 pic.twitter.com/afhIElO2B7
— Topps (@Topps) July 17, 2026
The card features a patch that Flagg wore on his Dallas Mavericks jersey during his first NBA game last season. Last year, a card with a jersey patch from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes' MLB debut sold for $1.11 million to Dick's Sporting Goods after it was pulled from a pack by an 11-year-old collector in Los Angeles.
The question now is whether or not Flagg's RDPA card will top the sale price of Skenes' card. That is the expectation among collectors and investors.
"When Paul Skenes' sold for $1.11 million last year, that really opened collectors up to the potential of rookie debut patch autograph cards," Sports Cards Investor's founder Geoff Wilson told ESPN.
"I said, when Flagg has one and it sells, it'll exceed that, maybe $1.5 million," he added. "Now? Five million. It's definitively his best card."
Cooper Flagg was asked if he's going to chase his 1/1 Rookie Debut Patch auto when it comes out in 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball...
— Sports Card Investor (@SportsCardInv) July 17, 2026
He said "maybe after his second contract" 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/KmKjN0VY8g
Flagg joked about the potential price his card might fetch from investors. When asked if he planned to buy the card from the collector who pulls it, he said, "Maybe eventually."
"I might have to wait until I get my second contract," he said. "But maybe eventually."
Flagg signed a four-year, $62.7 million rookie contract with the Mavericks and was paid $13.8 million in his first NBA season.
Flagg's RDPA card will be randomly inserted in a pack of Topps' 2026 Chrome Basketball Update Series, which is set to be available at hobby shops and retailers on Aug. 6. Other RDPA cards that will be part of the series include Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey and Derik Queen.
As a comparison to the value of the RDPA card, a Flagg autographed rookie Padparadscha (sapphire) card sold at auction for $366,000 earlier this year. And his jersey, from which the patch for the RDPA card was taken, sold for $1 million at auction.
