Worldwide Sports News

By now, we’re all begrudgingly used to Topps’ takeover of the NBA license. The flagship series wasn’t priced terribly, and Chrome made its triumphant return—at $50/blaster. What a country.

But for all the skepticism behind our new sports card overlords, there’s one major benefit fans can’t ignore: the Topps buyback program.

Whether you’re new to the hobby or a hardwood veteran, here’s the deal: Topps offers cold hard cash (in the form of store credit) for 2025-26 Topps Chrome cards of the player who wins the MVP. The payout rates are locked in:

• Base Cards: $20
• Refractors: $40
• Numbered >/100: $100
• Numbered </100: $200

Not bad, right? The only question left is: Who is actually winning the Michael Jordan Trophy?

The Usual Suspects

The international big three—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama—are the obvious heavy hitters.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): The reigning MVP has the Thunder sitting pretty at first in the West with a 47-15 record. He’s averaging a cool 31.8 points per game and remains the safe money favorite at -275.
• Nikola Jokić (DEN): The three-time MVP is currently averaging a triple-double (28.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 10.5 APG), but the Nuggets have slid to fifth in the West.
• Victor Wembanyama (SAS): The alien has landed. At just 22, he leads the league with nearly 4 blocks per game and has dragged the Spurs to the second seed in the West.

Think one of these three will win the Michael Jordan MVP Trophy this spring? Here’s the profit you stand to make if you head to eBay to buy up singles today:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:

• Base: $10 → +$10 after buyback
• Refractor: $21 → +$19 after buyback
• >/100: $54 → +$46 after buyback
• <100: $175 → +$25 after buyback

Nikola Jokic:

• Base: $5 → +$15 after buyback
• Refractor: $10 → +$30 after buyback
• >/100: $55 → +$45 after buyback
• <100: $65 → $135 after buyback

Victor Wembanyama:

• Base: $1 → +$19 after buyback
• Refractor: $7 → +$33 after buyback
• >/100: $80 → +$20 after buyback
• <100: $150 → +$50 after buyback

The American Longshot

Enough about the favorites. We’re here to talk about the guard who could become the first American-born player to win the award since James Harden in 2018: Cade Cunningham.

Context is king. Two seasons ago, the Pistons won just 14 games. Before Cade was drafted in 2021, Detroit hadn’t cracked 40 wins since the Obama administration. Today? The Motor City sits atop the Eastern Conference at 45-14, easily qualifying for Phil Jackson’s famous “40-20 rule” (winning 40 games before losing 20), a hallmark of true title contenders.

Cade is the engine behind that turnaround, averaging 25.5 points, 9.8 assists (2nd in the NBA), and 5.8 rebounds. While he is currently sitting at +800 odds, he has one massive advantage over the field: The 65-Game Rule.

Introduced recently, players must appear in at least 65 games (playing 20+ minutes) to be eligible for MVP.

• Nikola Jokić is currently just 2 missed games away from disqualification.
• Victor Wembanyama is only 4 missed games away.
• Shai Gilgeous Alexander is only 7 missed games away. 
• Cade Cunningham, meanwhile, has been an ironman, missing just six games all season.

That doesn’t make Cade’s MVP chances a safe bet by any means, but it’s certainly a kicker fans—and collectors—should be aware of when making Topps Chrome buyback decisions. If Shai, Jokić or Wemby tweak an ankle down the stretch, the MVP race is blown wide open.

For those that love an underdog, the chance to scoop up Cade’s Chrome cards for less than if/when he keeps the MotorCade humming to his first-ever MVP win is certainly appealing. For example, right now Cade’s Topps Chrome cards are sitting at the following prices:

• Base: $5 → +$15 after buyback
• Refractor: $7 → $33 after buyback
• >/100: $35 → +$65 after buyback
• <100: $75 → +$125 after buyback

The regular season isn’t over yet, and it’s going to be a race to the finish in what is shaping up to be the most unpredictable playoff stretch in years. While the NBA’s stars duke it out on the court, it’s time for you to begin collecting the league’s next MVP. 

Want more tips and tricks on how to scoop up NBA cards? Head over to Mantel to learn how to start buying rookies, strategically round up key cards, and create a collection your friends—and the Internet—will be jealous of.

Victor Wembanyama has been named Western Conference Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month for February, the league announced. It’s Wembanyama’s first time getting Player of the Month honors in his career. It’s the second time in a row he’s gotten the Defensive Player of the Month, and he’s the only player to repeat this season.

The Spurs had a perfect February, winning all 11 games they played, and Wembanyama’s performance played a major part in their success. The big man averaged 22.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and a league-leading 3.5 blocks during the stretch. San Antonio, which had the best net rating for the month, was almost 27 points better with him on the floor than off. He had some ups and downs on offense despite posting good numbers during the month, but his defense remained game-changing.

It’s Wembanyama’s first time winning Western Conference Player of the Month in his career. The selection shows he’s in the MVP conversation, as he’s now received the same distinction as past 2025/26 winners Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic. He’s the first Spur to get the honor since Tony Parker in January of 2013.

It’s the second time in a row Wembanyama has been named Western Conference Player of the Month after getting the distinction in January. He’s the only player to get the nod twice this year in either conference, which cements his status as the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, provided he can play the minimum 65 games to be eligible. He can only miss three games the rest of the way before he is disqualified from awards.

Cade Cunningham was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in February, as he led his Pistons to a 9-2 record and the second-best net rating in the league.

Former Spur Derrick White won Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month in February, with his Celtics posting the best defensive rating in the league for the month.

Victor Wembanyama is averaging 23.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, a steal, and a league-leading 2.9 blocks per game this season.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Last season, the third, fourth and fifth seeds in the Western Conference all had the same record, and the difference between second and seventh was just four games.

This year, things appear just as tight in the West, and the Lakers are once again part of the logjam.

Currently, LA is the six seed and two games behind the No. 3 seed Rockets. But they are also just two games away from falling into the play-in.

With 22 games left this season, things can go either way. For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we are asking, where do you think the Lakers finish in the West?

The upcoming matchups will certainly challenge the Lakers. They have games coming up against the Nuggets, Rockets, and Timberwolves, all teams ahead of them in the standings.

If they win these head-to-head games, they’ll earn the tiebreakers over Houston and Denver. They have already won the season series over Minnesota. Considering how close things are, that could be the difference in having homecourt advantage or even potentially being in the play-in.

Besides the matchups against the Rockets, Nuggets and Wolves, LA still has two games against the Thunder and faces some tough upcoming contests against Eastern Conference opponents, including the Pistons, Cavs, Magic and Knicks.

So, which team are the Lakers? Are they the ones that are finally healthy, figuring out their lineups and ready to go on a run? Or are they a team that’s not great on offense, bad at defense and will still lose to the NBA’s best when push comes to shove?

Share your opinion by voting and letting us know down below!

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

For the first time in his career, Derrick White has been awarded Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month. The NBA announced that White was selected as the East’s best defensive player for February, while San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembenyama was selected in the West.

White’s case for the selection was rock solid; the Celtics had the NBA’s best defensive rating in February at 105.5, and White led all NBA guards in 75 total contested shots. He also averaged 1.7 blocks per game, good for the third-most among any Eastern Conference player.

And the Celtics’ defense was elite; Boston limited its opponents to a league-low 36.7 field goals per game on a league-low 42.4 percent shooting from the field in February while also ranking second in the NBA in rebounds per game (50.0), second in opponent fast-break points per game (10.9), and third in opponent second-chance points per game (12.5).

White’s defense has increasingly been recognized in recent years; he was named to the All-Defense Second Team each of the past two seasons, and appears to be well on his way to another selection as the Celtics’ defense continues to dramatically improve.

On the season, the Celtics now have the fourth-best defense in the league (111.6 defensive rating), trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs. (That’s particularly remarkable when you realize that the Celtics had the 19th-best defense back in November).

And, White has largely anchored that defense, averaging 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, both career-highs.

Everyone has taken notice of Derrick White’s defensive impact

Coaches around the NBA have long been gushing about White’s defensive abilities. Last year, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who was also a member of the USA Olympic basketball staff, described White’s shot-blocking as one-of-a-kind.

“Derrick is uncanny. He did it all summer long [in the Olympics],” Spoelstra said, hailing White as the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA. “He just has a knack for the timely blocks.”

Last month, Jaylen Brown praised White for his defensive performance this season, noting he believed White should have been named an All-Star (he’s also averaging 17.1 points and 5.8 assists per game).

“I think Derrick White has been playing at an All-Star level l, because he plays both sides of the ball,” Brown said. “And that’s no disrespect to some of those other guys that are maybe in All-Star contention — but it’s a clear difference.”

Neemias Queta — also one of the Celtics’ most important defenders — praised White’s versatility.

“I feel like it’s his savviness, just the ability to go out there and just figure out how to make plays no matter what positioning or whoever he’s guarding,” said Queta. “I feel like he’s always got a good chance of getting a stop no matter who he’s guarding, or even off the ball too… he’s a Swiss army knife, and [he] can do a little bit of everything on both sides of the floor.”

Brown also brought up another award he felt White should be eligible for: Defensive Player of the Year.

“I think Derrick is a First Team All-Defense type of ballot, or maybe even Defensive Player of the Year,” he said.

As the Celtics’ team defensive numbers continue to improve, White’s potential candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year has grown stronger, though it’s very unusual for a guard to win the award.

According to Cleaning The Glass, the Celtics’ defense is nearly 12 points better with White on the floor; only four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert is more impactful than White in that regard.

For now, though, he’ll have to settle for a Defensive Player of the Month award — the Celtics’ first such selection since the award was created last year.

Every NBA player has a role. That’s not to say that every NBA player has the right role.

I worked at a law firm for five years. For the first year, I worked in the file room. I did well there because it would definitely be possible to train a primate to do the job.

Eventually, I was promoted to a desk job. I struggled mightily. It was far more complex. My manager hated me.

In time, it became clear that my biggest strength was talking to the clients. I became, in a sense, the face of the company. I was responsible for client intake – I was the first person you met. Perhaps the least competent, but people seem to trust me. I was also responsible for calling clients to give them bad news.

The point? I found my role. I went from a simple role to a role I couldn’t handle, into an ideal role.

Amen Thompson needs the same transformation with the Houston Rockets.

Rockets overburden young wing

In 2024-25, Thompson had a 17.5% Usage Rate. This year, he’s up to 20.2%.

He has a 22.0% frequency as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, up from 15.8%. If you follow this team, you know what’s going on. Thompson was a wing last year, and this year, he’s the starting point guard.

That’s not all. It’s more difficult to quantify a defensive role change, but Thompson’s responsibilities have been qualitatively different in 2025-26. He is frequently tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best offensive player. Last season, that was typically Dillon Brooks’ job.

It’s all resulted in a puzzling season for Thompson. His basic counting stats are up across the board, but his Box Plus/Minus (BPM) has slipped from 4.1 to 1.8. For reference, that’s the difference between ranking between (coincidentally) Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant this year, compared to his real place tied with Santi Almada and Nic Claxton.

Now, it has potentially resulted in an injury.

Rockets may be without Thompson for a spell

Granted, the severity of his injury as of this writing is unknown.

More broadly, this could be a false correlation. Players get injured regardless of their workload. Yet, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Thompson is biting off more than he can chew.

His 36.9 minutes per game rank second in the league behind Tyrese Maxey. Thompson is being asked to do more than he’s ever done and play more in the process.

Last year, he earned his first (of many) All-Defense selections. He joined Dyson Daniels, Luguentz Dort, Draymond Green, and Evan Mobley. Where do Thompson’s All-Defense peers land in usage this year?

2024-25 All-Defensive Usage Rates in 2025-26

Evan Mobley (22.1%)

Amen Thompson (20.2%)

Draymond Green (16.9%)

Dyson Daniels (16.0%)

Luguentz Dort (14.1%(

So, Thompson is behind Mobley. Yet, in all likelihood, he isn’t really behind Mobley.

Thompson gets 73.4 touches per game to Mobley’s 66.5. Mobley does sometimes create for Cleveland, but he’s more of a play finisher, which factors into Basketball Reference’s measure of Usage. Simply put, Thompson is the only All-Defensive selection from 2024-25 operating as a primary ball-handler in 2025-26.

Given that the second All-Defensive squad was comprised of Toumani Camara, Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Williams, and Ivica Zubac, Thompson likely is the most or second-most (Williams) used offensive player between each squad. If Ime Udoka wants Thompson to continue making All-Defensive First Team appearances, he may need to lighten Thompson’s offensive load.

There seems to be a false dichotomy when we talk about “on” vs. “off” ball NBA players. To suggest that Houston should move Thompson to an “off-ball role” is an oversimplification. It would be more accurate to say that the Rockets should simply reduce his time on-ball:

That could help them find his perfect role.

A sneaky part of the Bucks’ now-dead hot streak that Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins seemingly clicked better together than earlier in the season. During Giannis’ last injury layoff in December, Doc Rivers talked about how he preferred to split the two up: “I like [Rollins] and Scoot together when Giannis plays. But when Giannis doesn’t play, I don’t like him and Scoot together. We need that separation.” During Milwaukee’s eight-wins-in-10-game stretch, they were +4.8 in net with that duo on the floor. Prior to then, they were +3.3. Here’s what Doc said about them on Sunday:

“In the games we play well, that means they play well together, that the ball was moving, they were getting downhill, making plays. In the games we struggle, that means the ball was usually stuck in those two guys’ hands. You don’t have that problem as much with Giannis, obviously.“

Doc also thought that Rollins’ improvement as a facilitator and a playmaker over the last month was a big reason for the combo’s newfound success. Well, sure enough, Rollins was the one benched last night as the Bucks moved away from the three-guard starting lineup. To be fair, Rollins has had a rough go of it over the last few games, particularly with regard to turnovers, averaging 4.0 per game since February 1st.

In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we want your opinion on the starting backcourt and small forward spot now that Giannis is back. Let’s also see how much your projected playoff seeding for Milwaukee has changed over the past couple weeks.

As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!