
Hoops and Holdings; The NBA Stock Market

Every NBA season brings surprises breakout stars, struggling contenders, and shifting momentum. It’s time to check the market. Here’s who I’m buying stock in and who I’m selling as the season heats up.
Buying Stock In – The Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets look every bit like contenders to start the 2025–26 season. Sitting near the top of the Western Conference at 10–2, they’ve picked up right where they left off — dominating with balance and efficiency. Nikola Jokić continues to make the extraordinary look routine, averaging around 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists per game while anchoring one of the league’s top offenses.

What makes me buy stock isn’t just Jokić’s brilliance — it’s how connected the team looks. Jamal Murray has started hot, thriving as a scorer and secondary playmaker, and the team looks a lot deeper than they’ve been in seasons past due to offseason additions like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas.
The Nuggets rank among the league leaders in assists per game, showing that their ball movement remains as sharp as ever. Defensively, they’ve improved their rotations and communication, holding opponents to under 46% shooting from the field. Denver’s chemistry, experience, and unselfish style make them one of the most complete teams in the NBA. Unless injuries strike, this team feels like one of the smartest buys in basketball right now.
Buying Stock In – Kon Knueppel
It’s early, but Kon Knueppel is already showing flashes that make him one of the most intriguing rookies in the league. The Hornets took him for his high basketball IQ, shooting touch, and poise and all three have translated faster than expected. Through the opening stretch of the 2025–26 season, Knueppel is averaging solid minutes off the bench while shooting over 40% from three and making the right play nearly every possession.
Kon looks like a ten year veteran for a Hornets team that has desperately needed maturity the last couple of years. He doesn’t force shots, moves well without the ball, and fits seamlessly alongside veterans like Lamelo Ball and Collin Sexton. His ability to space the floor has added real value, and his decision-making already feels years ahead of most rookies.

Knueppel might not pop off the screen, but the foundation is clearly there. If his confidence and minutes continue to rise, this is the kind of rookie stock you buy early, before everyone else realizes how good he’s going to be.
Selling Stock – The Los Angeles Clippers
The LA Clippers have star power on paper, but at this point, it feels more like a brand than a basketball identity. Through the first month of the 2025–26 season, they’re 6 games under the .500 mark and playing at one of the slowest paces in the league. They look like a retirement home for NBA players right now.
I don’t want to kick anyone while their down and it feels like the Clippers just can’t catch a break. Bradley Beal is done for the year and it just came out today that Derrick Jones Jr. is going to miss at least six week. I feel bad for the clippers but when you fill your team with aging players this is to be expected.

The Clippers are still talented enough to make the playoffs, but there’s little about this roster that inspires long-term confidence. Their window feels closed, and the decline seems inevitable. If you’re holding stock in LA right now, it might be time to sell before the market catches up.
Holding Stock In – The Chicago Bulls
Holding Chicago Bulls stock right now makes sense because this team sits in a strange but intriguing middle ground. Their start to the season was impressive, but after a hot start they’ve struggled a bit. The Bulls still show flashes of what they can be when the ball moves, the spacing is clean, and they play a fun brand of basketball.

I love Josh Giddey at the helm for this Bulls sqaud. Many people have questioned if the leap he made late last year was real and he’s backed it up to start the year. The young Australian guard is a nightly triple double threat and seems to do all the little things right. I love Giddey as a leader for this younger Bulls squad.
So, for now, I think holding Chicago Bulls stock is the smart play. This team might not break out yet, but they also aren’t a sell. They’re steady, somewhat predictable, and still capable of trending upward if things go right. In a volatile NBA season, that stability can be valuable, which is why keeping your Chicago Bulls stock makes sense.
Holding Stock In – Jazz Rookies
The Utah Jazz aren’t winning many headlines right now, but their rookie class is quietly giving fans something real to build around. Through the first month of the 2025–26 season, Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. have already shown enough flashes to justify patience. They’re not consistent yet because no rookie is but the upside is obvious every time they’re on the floor.

I’m not here to crown anyone too early, and it’s clear both guys still have a long way to go. Bailey has nights where he looks like a future two-way star, and others where he disappears for long stretches. Clayton can run hot and cold as a shooter, and the game still moves fast for him at times. But that’s part of the process. When you invest in rookies, you’re investing in development, and the Jazz are letting both players learn through mistakes.
I think right now, holding stock on this rookie class makes sense. Both rookies have shown promising flashes and I could see a world where Utah makes a couple trades to open up more playing time for both of these guys as the season goes on.
A Short Market Summary
The NBA season moves fast, and so does the market on every team and player. Some situations feel like clear stock risers, others look like obvious sells, and a few fall right in the middle where patience still pays off. What matters most is recognizing the direction of the trend, not just the moment you’re watching.
As the season unfolds, these stocks will rise, fall, and stabilize in ways none of us can predict yet. That’s the fun of it. Whether you’re buying, selling, or holding, the goal is to stay ahead of the curve and trust what the numbers and your instincts are telling you. This early in the year, nothing is set in stone. But the swings are already shaping the story of the 2025–26 season, and there’s plenty more movement on the way. Let me know if you agree.



