2025-26 Topps NBA Hoops Lands May 14: The First Hoops of the Topps and Fanatics Era

A 35-year-old brand just changed hands, and the first product off the new line is already on shelves. 2025-26 Topps NBA Hoops released on May 14, marking the first Hoops set ever produced under the Topps banner after Fanatics secured the exclusive NBA and NBPA trading card license. For collectors who grew up tearing Hoops as their entry point into the hobby, this is the start of a genuinely new era for basketball cards.

Who Actually Owns Hoops Now

There is a common misconception worth clearing up. Hoops was never really Panini's brand — it has always been owned by NBA Properties, the league's commercial arm. Panini simply held the license to produce it for years. With the exclusive NBA and NBPA rights now sitting with Fanatics, the production job moves to Topps under the Fanatics umbrella. So Hoops is not being reinvented from scratch; it is the same NBA-owned franchise, printed by a new company.

• The license moved, the brand did not. NBA Properties still owns Hoops; Topps now prints it.
• Hoops keeps its identity. It remains the accessible, collector-friendly, entry-level release it has always been — the set you hand a kid getting into the hobby.
• This is a first-of-era product. First-print, first-design-language Hoops under Topps carries a flag-planting significance that later releases will not.

What Is in the Box

The debut set runs 300 cards, with hobby autographs, retail exclusives, and a deep rookie class built around the 2025-26 draft. The headliners are Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, the two names every basketball collector has been waiting to pull all season. As an entry-level product, Hoops is designed to be rippable and affordable rather than a high-end chase, which is exactly why the rookie content carries it.

"The first Topps-era Hoops is going to get bought for two reasons — the Flagg and Harper rookies, and the simple fact that it is the first one. Sealed nostalgia is a real driver."

Pricing and Configurations

Topps opened presales on April 14, and the configuration list covers the full range from collector to casual:

• Hobby boxes opened at $259.99 on presale and were bumped to $279.99 on release day.
• Value Blasters at $34.99 for retail-focused buyers.
• An exclusive Fanatics Blaster at $39.99 for the direct channel.

Should You Buy In?

Hoops has never been the set you crack hoping to hit a grail — it is the set you crack because it is fun and the rookies matter. The wrinkle this year is the era change. First-of-brand product under a new manufacturer tends to hold a little extra collector interest, and a rookie class led by Flagg and Harper gives sealed boxes a real reason to exist beyond nostalgia. If you collect basketball, grabbing a box or two of the first Topps Hoops is an easy, low-cost way to own a piece of the transition.