The 120 Best NBA Top Shot Moments Under $25
If you are new to Top Shot or just don’t have a big budget to spend on Moments, the good news is that there are tons of awesome options available to you. You can, of course, wait for a pack drop as an entryway into collecting, but because of a recent influx of new Moments, getting started without a pack has become increasingly accessible. Frankly, once you join and start looking around, I don’t think you’ll be able to restrain yourself for the 3–7 days it may be until the next pack.
Regardless of your favorite team or player, you should be able to find a Moment you genuinely like in the marketplace for less than $25, and in many cases, can add 2–4 Moments to your collection for that price.
My personal advice to a new member of the Top Shot community is to start small, and slow, with a goal of hitting 20 Moments for around $100 total, ideally between the marketplace and a few base set pack drops. Whether you do that in one day, a weekend, or over the course of a month, given everchanging marketplace conditions and a few other factors, I think it’s the most responsible and strategic move you can make.
The NBA Top Shot team is increasingly placing restrictions around collector access to certain pack drops; the criteria is ever-changing and typically includes a few different qualifying factors, but in the two “gated” rare and legendary drops to take place this April, 20 Moments or $100 in marketplace activity would have qualified you for both.
Basically, it’s more likely that a larger collection of small Moments will open more doors for you than a few expensive Moments. The vast majority of pack drops are available to everyone, but it is my personal belief, based on what I have seen, that these are solid benchmarks to aspire to if you don’t want to feel excluded from certain higher profile drops.
Buying inexpensive Moments also gives you a diversified collection (or portfolio) with minimal downside, high upside, and extremely flexible and liquid assets.
Standard market volatility causes prices to rise and fall, but inexpensive Moments like the ones detailed below can only decrease so much in value, protecting your initial investment. It’s not that complex of an idea but it’s worth spelling out in the most basic sense. A /35000 dunk by your favorite player might cost $7 normally, fall to $5 after a pack drop, and rise to $10 after a strong game. If I invested in Tyrese Haliburton’s /4000 Rookie Debut for $800 a few weeks ago, I would be down over $300 based on what it’s available for today. When you decide to sell a Moment, you also pay a 5% fee on the transaction, which comes out of your profits. If I sold a $1000 Moment, that’s $50. For a $10 Moment, that’s 50 cents. It just hurts less if and when you decide to make a move.
At the same time, if the overall “floor” on the market raises, all of your Moments will appreciate in value significantly relative to your initial investment and you can still sell them for a profit. If I buy a $1000 Moment and sell it for $1050, I am actually losing $2.50. When challenges occur, such as “Cool Cats,” common, inexpensive Moments are often a criteria for completion, causing Moments to quickly rise in value 5X to 10X. That is not guaranteed to happen, but if and when it does, you can sell that Moment and basically cover the cost of your entire initial investment. If it’s a Moment you love, it will drop back to the original low value a week later and you can buy it back.
Which brings me to the extremely liquid nature of inexpensive Moments.
No matter the market conditions, there is always an appetite for the bargain bin. It’s a lot harder to find a buyer for a $1500 Legendary Holo Icon than it is a $15 common Series Two. So when you decide to pursue something new, or want to consider consolidating your account into more special or valuable options, it’s faster and easier to do that when you have a bunch of low priced Moments.
Consolidation: the act of selling a large amount of Moments, often more common and inexpensive, to build a Dapper balance that can be reinvested into a few expensive Moments you previously could not pursue.
When you have 20 Moments that you slowly added for $5–$25 at a time, you have the freedom and flexibility to sell 10, have a new balance, and buy something exciting that previously felt out of reach because the idea of dropping $150 was too aggressive and bold at that Moment of your Top Shot journey. It just makes it easier to move in and out of Moments, and gives you a higher likelihood of striking gold on a new challenge or piece of news.
Lastly, the Top Shot team recently revealed their plan for an unreleased collection of Series One Moments from their personal collection. Called “Trade Tickets,” the concept will basically create even more value in the long-term for inexpensive Moments, and create a safer floor value for them in case of any downward momentum.
As the NBA Top Shot team continues to release more Moments into the marketplace, there will always be new, inexpensive options available that capture great plays from each season. In the 120 identified below, I’ve selected my personal favorites, based on player value, uniqueness or context of the Moment, and scarcity. The 120 listed are all “Common” and “Series Two” — ranging in mint count from /12000 (a player’s first Moment), /15000 (the initial wave of common S2 Moments), and /35000 (the largest current mint and distribution size at the time of publication). What that basically means is that anything listed below will feature a star player’s most affordable Moment or a bench/young/lower status player’s first ever Moment on Top Shot (also known as their TS Debut).
As always, this is not investment advice. Buy what you love, then buy what you like. I just want to help cut through the clutter and steer you towards a ton of hidden gems.
I hope you find it helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter. In the spirit of transparency, here is my collection (also pictured below), so you know what I have at any time; some of these are in my collection, but most are not. My personal favorites within the 120 “best” are bolded throughout.
Atlanta Hawks — Swooping and Hooping
- John Collins /35000 Dunk (a sky-high alley-oop from Kevin Huerter in MLK jerseys) — $8
- Danilo Gallinari /35000 Three Pointer (from the logo on a night he set the Hawks franchise record for threes in a game) — $6
- Trae Young /35000 Three Pointer (the famous “Kobe Bryant” tribute, on the one year anniversary of his death; notice the 2–4 hand gesture after drilling the shot) — $12
- Nathan Knight /12000 Dunk (a very cool camera angle on a strong dunk that powers through a block, plus his Top Shot debut, minted during his rookie season) — $21
Brooklyn Nets — Stars, Stars, and More Stars
- Kevin Durant /35000 Dunk (the cheapest you’ll ever find him, and one of the most generally scarce and undervalued players on Top Shot) — $24
- Blake Griffin /35000 Dunk (his first game as a Net and first dunk in three years) — $6
- Kyrie Irving /35000 Jump Shot (great fake out on his way to a floater, and also just the lowest possible price entry into an All-Star caliber player) — $10
- James Harden /35000 Layup (his first game as a Net, a beautiful drive, and affordable for the player) — $19
- Nicolas Claxton /12000 Dunk (the young big fella’s TS debut on the pass from Harden) — $13
See all the $25 and under Nets Moments on NBA Top Shot
Charlotte Hornets — Dunks and a Monk
- Miles Bridges /35000 Dunk (legitimately one of the coolest actual Moments, Bridges turns a Lamelo assist into a smooth windmill dunk, I consider this one of the Top 10 Budget Moments on Top Shot) — $10
- Miles Bridges /15000 Dunk (a beautiful one-handed alley-oop, collecting all of Miles Bridges dunks could be a fun, affordable pursuit) — $20
- Gordon Hayward /12000 Jump Shot (his Top Shot debut and first Moment, he scores 28 in a win over the Nets) — $22
- Malik Monk /12000 Layup (his Top Shot debut and first Moment) — $17
See all the $25 and under Hornets Moments on NBA Top Shot
Chicago Bulls — Zach Attack
Zach LaVine hitting game winning threes ($18), Zach LaVine dunking with glee ($7), and Zach LaVine in the form of an alley-oop ($17) to Lauri Markennen for his first Moment. That’s enough about the Bulls.
See all the $25 and under Bulls Moments on NBA Top Shot
Cleveland Cavaliers — Budget Darlings!
- The Cedi Osman Lebron James Chasedown Block Tribute will always be one of the least expensive Moments in Top Shot ($6) and it will also always be awesome.
- Isaac Okoro /35000 Dunk (rookie season Moments, long term, are always nice if the player works out) — $9
- Collin Sexton drilling a game-tying deep three in overtime against the Nets on a night he scores 42 points in a W against the Nets…for $7
- Darius Garland /15000 Layup (if you are a Cavs fan, you feel great about Sexton and Garland for the next five years) — $11
- You can own one of /35000 Moments featuring veteran, three-time NBA Champion JaVale McGee going end-to-end for a full court fast break dunk then falling on his ass for $7!
- You can also own his /15000 Dunk, where he also leads a full court fast break for a dunk, for $10. JaVale McGee, point god.
See all the $25 and under Cavaliers Moments on NBA Top Shot
Dallas Mavericks — Luka Love
Luka Doncic /35000 Assist (this Moment fluctuates from low to high 20s, but it’s the lowest price entry point into one of the leagues most popular and talented players and captures his magical court vision) — $25
Everything else you can find isn’t a Luka Moment, but involves Luka in some way; an assist to a Kristaps Porzingis /35000 Dunk ($7), the catalyst for a Dorian Finney Smith /12000 Dunk ($12), turning the ball over to give Willie Cauley-Stein the opportunity for a nasty /12000 Block ($14), or dishing it to Maxi Kleber for a clutch, late-game /15000 Three Pointer ($14)
See all the $25 and under Mavericks Moments on NBA Top Shot
Denver Nuggets — Jokers Wild
- Michael Porter /15000 and /35000 Dunks (both off Jokic assists, one an alley-oop and the other an angry, powerful slam) — $24 and $7
- Bol Bol /35000 Dunk (an elegent dribble drive, fake, and one-handed slam with the grace of a gazelle) — $7
- Will Barton /12000 Dunk (his Top Shot debut, and an OG Nugget, this Moment once cost over $100 because of a challenge!) — $16
See all the $25 and under Nuggets Moments on NBA Top Shot
Detroit Pistons — In Need of a Tune Up
Jerami Grant is the Pistons’ engine, and perhaps the only player worth collecting Moments from, with /35000 and /15000 Dunks available for $6 and $11, respectively. If you happen to be bullish on the future of Isaiah Stewart, you can get your hands on a /35000 Dunk, a nice put-back slam in traffic, for $8.
See all the $25 and under Pistons Moments on NBA Top Shot
Golden State Warriors — Not The Splash Brothers
At the time of publishing this, there are no Steph Curry Moments available for less than $25 (a nice layup will run you $28+ most of the time) and Klay Thompson doesn’t even have any Moments minted yet because of timing with his injuries, so honoring the Splash Brothers isn’t an option, regardless of your budget.
In general, Top Shot can use more Steph Curry threes, and hopefully they’ll exist with a low barrier to entry soon! That being said, you can get a piece of the Bay without dropping a bag.
- Draymond Green /15000 Assist (a full court chess pass for a layup) — $14
- Kelly Oubre /15000 Dunk (posterizing Kevin Durant with a one-handed slam off a missed shot)—$16
- Damion Lee /35000 Three Pointer (a game winning shot after inbounding the ball, drilling it with Zach Lavine in his face) —$6
- James Wiseman /35000 Dunk (minted during his rookie season, it’s the lowest price you’ll pay for owernship of the promising young big fella) —$18
See all the $25 and under Warriors Moments on NBA Top Shot
Houston Rockets — The Ghost of James Harden
In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Rockets aren’t very good these days, and as a result, there is a lot of value available on their team in the marketplace.
- Victor Oladipo /35000 Layup (his only Moment in a Rockets uniform) — $6
- Demarcus Cousins /15000 Three Pointer (with an assist from James Harden) — $11
- David Nwaba /12000 Dunk (his Top Shot debut, a one handed tomahawk just within the free throw line with an assist from James Harden) — $12
- Christian Wood /15000 Dunk (nasty dunk with the assist from James Harden) — $12
- Christian Wood /20000 Dunk (from the Cool Cats set) — $17
- John Wall /35000 Assist (to his former Kentucky Wildcat teammate Demarcus Cousins) — $6
See all the $25 and under Rockets Moments on NBA Top Shot
Indiana Pacers — Malcolm in the Middle
- Malcolm Brodgon /15000 Assist (an outlet pass from Oladipo to Brogdon, who dishes it backwards to a trailing Sabonis for a nice dunk; it’s the only Pacers Moment that will ever feature all three of those players) — $11
- Malcolm Brogdon /35000 Three Pointer (a no-look dish to TJ while driving, stumbles out of bounds, then runs to the corner, gets the pass back, and drills the three) — $6
See all the $25 and under Pacers Moments on NBA Top Shot
Los Angeles Clippers — LA’s B List
- Kawhi Leonard /35000 Jumper (the only Moment on Top Shot with a player wearing a mask) —$9
- Paul George /35000 Dunk (a very casual crossover to split the D followed by a thunderous slam over a defender) — $10
- Ivica Zubac /35000 Dunk (after getting the block on D, the big man sprints the length of the court and gets a dish from Beverley for a furious two handed jam) —$6
See all the $25 and under Clippers Moments on NBA Top Shot
Los Angeles Lakers — Not Lebron
- Marc Gasol /35000 Jump Shot (stumbling and bumbling around the free throw line before tossing up a one handed jumper, it’s his only Moment as a Laker) —$5
- Alex Caruso /35000 Block (channeling his teammate, a classic chase down block with beautiful camera work) —$6
- Talen Horton-Tucker /35000 Dunk (a full court inbounds pass from LeBron James, who gets more camera time than THT, leading to a smooth jam)—$7
- Anthony Davis /35000 Dunk (Lebron assist to AD dunk for a criminally low price) — $14
See all the $25 and under Lakers Moments on NBA Top Shot
Memphis Grizzlies — Ja Rules
- Ja Morant /35000 Layup (a beautiful driving, levitating layup by the former Rookie of the Year) — $12
You can get pretty much any of the Grizzlies for under $25, and while the plays aren’t particularly spectacular or noteworthy, there are a lot of first Moments from their roster on the table.
See all the $25 and under Grizzlies Moments on NBA Top Shot
Miami Heat — Fire Sale
- Goran Dragic /15000 Layup (from the Cool Cats collection, this is a smooth spin move into a scoop layup) — $22
- Tyler Herro /15000 Three Pointer (a step back corner three, Herro is a big name on Top Shot and this moment was over $100 in Feb/March) — $20
- Jimmy Butler /15000 Jump Shot (great value for a star player on a lower mint count Moment) — $19
- Bam Adebayo /15000 Dunk (alley-oop in the neon pink and blue jerseys) — $18
- Kendrick Nunn /15000 Dunk (a strong one-handed slam) —$12
- Jimmy Butler /35000 Dunk (alley-oop) — $6
- Tyler Herro /35000 Layup (driving to the lane and lobbing it up to the sky over the defense and dropping down into the hoop) —$7
See all the $25 and under Heat Moments on NBA Top Shot
Milwaukee Bucks — Good Bucking Deals!
- Giannis Antetokounmpo /35000 Block (yes, you can own a Moment from one of the best players in the NBA for next to nothing in Top Shot terms) — $11 — Pair him with his brother on a /12000 Dunk TS debut for another $12
- Kris Middleton dishing and swishing at a discount, his /35000 Assist ($4) and /15000 Jump Shot ($12) are great value for the second best player on a top NBA team, and constant threat in the playoffs.
- Pat Connaughton’s /12000 Assist isn’t just his TS debut, it’s also a Giannis dunk, and it’s only $8
- Jrue Holiday /20000 Layup (another discount Cool Cat) — $15
See all the $25 and under Bucks Moments on NBA Top Shot
Minnesota Timberwolves — Cheap Kat and Discount Debuts
- Karl Anthony Towns /35000 Dunk (the cheapest entry point to the star of the team and a nice off-the-miss put back slam) —$8
- Naz Reid /12000 Dunk (his TS debut with a thunderous transition one-handed dunk) —$9
- Malik Beasley /12000 Dunk (another TS debut, a full-court breakaway slam) — $15
- Jarred Vanderbilt /12000 Dunk (more TS debut, this time in the form of a one-handed sky-high alley-oop) — $10
See all the $25 and under Timberwolves Moments on NBA Top Shot
New Orleans Pelicans — No Zion, No Problem
- Jaxson Hayes /12000 Dunk (his TS debut, a beautiful one handed dunk) — $16
- Nickeil Alexander Walker /12000 Layup (his TS debut, a spin move into a swooping layup through two defenders) — $13
- Eric Bledsoe /15000 Block (a strong game-winning block on Demar Derozan) — $10
- Josh Hart /35000 Dunk (Certified baller and TS darling, this is a smooth put-back off a miss) — $8
New York Knicks — Madison Square Bargains
There are 10 Knicks Moments available in this price range, and as a Knicks fan, I will be honest and tell you I own every one of them. I can’t pick and choose which of the 10 are best, because I am biased and love them all.
You can pretty much get any player on the team other than Immanuel Quickely (for now), including some great plays from Toppin, Rose, Barrett and Randle. I’d say the best value is Obi Toppin’s /35000 ($9) Dunk because it has two rookie badges and includes an assist from Frank Ntilikina, one of only two Moments you’ll find the French neophyte in.
See all the $25 and under Knicks Moments on NBA Top Shot
Oklahoma City Thunder — SGA All Day
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander /15000 Jump Shot (At the height of TS mania in late Feb and early March, this Moment hovered around $100; it’s a beautiful stop and pop game winning shot from a star in the making) — $19
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander /35000 Layup (a calm, collected baseline layup that starts with a fake pass and ends with a reverse, in a 31-point performance and rare win over the Brooklyn Nets) — $7
- Hamidou Diallo /12000 Dunk (not only his first Moment on Top Shot, but the only moment he’ll ever have on the OKC Thunder, making this a rare collectible; it’s also a nice play!) — $12
- Isaiah Roby /12000 Dunk (after juking All-Star Nikola Vucevic so badly he falls on his but, Roby flies to the rim for a huge dunk, and his first moment) —$18
- Luguentz Dort /35000 Layup (if you’re a Thunder fan, you love Dort, and this is a sweet layup and his most accessible Moment) — $7
See all the $25 and under Thunder Moments on NBA Top Shot
Orlando Magic — In Appreciation of Cole Anthony
With seconds left on the clock, rookie and Certified Baller Cole Anthony sprints down the court and pulls up in transition with confidence to drill the game winning three pointer. Zero seconds remain, the clock turns red, and the bench erupts with elation as their future star proves why he was worthy of an early first round draft pick. It’s awesome, it has rookie badges, it’s the only Moment he has beyond the Top Shot debut, and you can have it in your collection for $19.
You’ll find low entry point access to former Magic stars like Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic, along with Evan Fournier, a /15000 Fultz, and Top Shot debuts for every young, new Magic player other than Anthony, too.
Tons of value to be found, if you’re into the Orlando Magic, that is…
See all the $25 and under Magic Moments on NBA Top Shot
Philadelphia 76ers — The Founding Fathers
- Ben Simmons /15000 Dunk (this may fluctuate in and out of our artificial $25 price range, but if you can find it, it’s great value for an All-Star on a top time in the Eastern Conference) — $24
- Ben Simmons /35000 Layup (if you can’t afford the previously mentioned Moment, this sleek jab-step into a sky hook is a nice own to target) —$8
- Joel Embiid /35000 Jump Shot (a potential MVP and one of the league’s biggest personalities, this is a classic big man playing bully ball then showing off a deft touch) — $10
- Shake Milton /12000 Jump Shot (his TS debut, this is nice to have if you are a fan) — $10
- Furkan Korkmaz /12000 Three Pointer (his TS debut, it’s a clutch game-tying three pointer to force OT) — $10
- Dwight Howard /15000 and /35000 Dunks (both emphatic alley-oops) $15 and $8
See all the $25 and under 76ers Moments on NBA Top Shot
Phoenix Suns — CP Practically Free
Chris Paul, Point God, is one of the best NBA players of the past 20 years and is helping lead the Suns to their best season since Nash and Amare in the 7 seconds of less D’Antoni era. You can own Moments of him hitting clutch /35000 jumpers ($9), being a double-double Cool Cat /20000 ($25), or dishing a dime to Devin Booker for a /35000 game winning shot ($10). Pick one or pick them all, you can’t go wrong investing in a future Hall of Famer.
See all the $25 and under Suns Moments on NBA Top Shot
Portland Trailblazers — Shooter’s Paradise
- Dame Lillard /35000 Three Pointer (Game winner!)— $16
- CJ McCollum /35000 Handles (Game winner!) — $8
- Carmelo Anthony /35000 Jump Shot (Vintage fadeaway!) — $8
See all the $25 and under Trailblazers Moments on NBA Top Shot
Sacramento Kings — Team Top Shot
Led by Harrison Barnes and his evergrowing collection (previewed below) of 400+ Top Shot Moments, the Kings are the most active and invested team of any in the NBA. Barnes has very expensive and respected taste and is a staple of the Top 10 Marketplace Buyers. Tyrese Haliburton is virtually the league’s Rookie face of Top Shot and media advocate, with 150+ Moments in his collection, and teammates Richaun Holmes, Chimeze Metu and Hassan Whiteside are also certified collectors on the site.
- Harrison Barnes /3500 Three Pointer (perhaps the best Moment you can buy for under $10, it’s a game winning buzzer beating three off a hail mary full court inbounds pass; one of the most viral plays of the year, Hali bombs his post-game interview with a water bottle celebration and screams ‘Top Shot That’ into the camera) — $8
- De’Aaron Fox /15000 Layup (Swipa steals it and goes full court at hyper speed before laying it in) — $18
- De’Aaron Fox /35000 Dunk (A killer crossover into a monster dunk from inside the free throw line) — $8
- Chimeze Metu /12000 Block (two blocks in one play, a rarity among the TS debuts and the overall marketplace) — $10
- Glenn Robinson III /12000 Layup (just an awesome trick shot layup for his first moment) — $9
See all the $25 and under Kings Moments on NBA Top Shot
San Antonio Spurs — The Woj Bomb
For $15, you can have a piece of Top Shot history. The Lamarcus Aldrige /15000 Three Pointer isn’t just a great moment in the context of the big fella turning an almost turnover into a turnaround three; it’s a “great Moment” in the sense that it has experienced things you can’t even imagine, passed from collector to collector like few and far between. It’s been through trade rumors, trades to contenders, and surprise retirements.
Owning this is a badge of honor.
See for yourself — the Evaluate Market history of this Moment is a work of art. You’ll never find it for less. You can buy virtually any Spur for less than $25, but if you’re only going to pick one, don’t overthink it.
See all the $25 and under Spurs Moments on NBA Top Shot
Toronto Raptors — Jurassic Value
- Fred Van Vleet /35000 Layup (it’s not every day that see you a 360 layup, but now, you can whenever you want) — $8
- Fred Van Vleet /15000 Three Pointer (just a great price for what you get if you like the Raptors) — $15
- Pascal Siakam /15000 Layup (he just carves up the defense and glides toward the hoop) — $12
- Stanley Johnson /12000 Dunk (the arena looks extra empty, the Wendy’s sign in the background, and the free throw rebound into a dunk over Embiid, all wrapped up in a TS debut) — $14
- Chris Boucher /12000 Block (an absolute monster block and TS debut) — $20
- Kyle Lowry /35000 Layup (the only Lowry you’ll find for under $25) — $8
See all the $25 and under Raptors Moments on NBA Top Shot
Utah Jazz — Disrespecting Greatness
Despite being the best team in the Western Conference, more or less wire to wire for the entire season, the Jazz are undervalued and abundantly available for under $25. The best values come in the form of Donovan Mitchell’s /15000 Jump Shot ($25) and /35000 Dunk ($10), Mike Conley’s /15000 Layup ($12),
See all the $25 and under Jazz Moments on NBA Top Shot
Washington Wizards — Hidden Gems
Bradley Beal /15000 and /35000 Handles (superstar talent and league-leading scoring, what more could you want?) —$15 and $8
Russell Westbrook /35000 Lay Up (two dribbles and he’s gone!) — $8
Thomas Bryant /12000 Block (absolutely embarrassing Jaylen Brown with the strong stuff in his TS debut) — $10
Robin Lopez /12000 Jump Shot (one of the best circus shots you’ll find anywhere on Top Shot, and his TS debut) — $19
See all the $25 and under Wizards Moments on NBA Top Shot
Thanks for reading, and good luck in your future pack drops! If you enjoyed this, I will be writing about Top Shot weekly, so follow me on Twitter and subscribe to this blog for future articles!
