With everything in the collectibles realm, you need to be informed. Collecting for investment purposes can be challenging and rewarding. You have to take educated risks on which young players will have great careers and the most valuable collectibles.

For those who love basketball, this list will help you identify the best young players to invest in. Of course, this is only my opinion, so don’t get mad at me if their career takes a turn for the worse and their collectibles drop in value.

1. LeBron James—Okay, so this is an obvious choice for starting this list, but you have to mention LeBron James when you talk about great young NBA players. He’s not just the best young player in the league, he just might be the best player period. The tricky part is finding collectibles of his at a low enough price to warrant investing in them.

2. Dwight Howard—Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic really is Superman. This 22-year-old is undoubtedly the best young big man in the league. He does it all—scores, blocks shots, rebounds the ball and maintains a good field-goal percentage. Invest in this kid’s collectibles, and you won’t be sorry.

3. Kevin Durant—So he’s on a terrible team that just relocated to Oklahoma City. But after averaging more than 20 points per game at age 19, this youngster is poised to be great. I fully expect his next few seasons in the league will catapult him into the forefront of the game. Get his collectibles now.

4. Chris Paul—He’s just 23 years old, but many already view him as the best point guard in the league. I’ve seen him firsthand lighting up the Rockets down here in Houston when his team, the New Orleans Hornets, came to town. There’s no doubt about it—Chris Paul can flat out ball. He’s one of those players that teams develop their whole game plan around.

5. Brandon Roy—This shooting guard was the Rookie of the Year in 2007 and an All Star in 2008. Think he might be pretty good? You’re right. He averages about 20 points per game along with 5 assists each night. At just 24 years old, his collectibles make for a wise investment.

6. Deron Williams—It really pains me to put him on this list as the Jazz seem hellbent on crushing my hometown Houston Rockets every year in the playoffs, but the truth is Deron Williams is a great young point guard. He seems to fly under the radar and rarely gets the respect he deserves. From an investor’s standpoint, this is a good thing as you might be able to score some great deals on his collectibles.

7. Carmelo Anthony—Never forget, there was a huge debate as to whom would be better—Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James. While James has become the face of the NBA, Melo hasn’t exactly been doing too badly, either. Last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He’s gotten better each season, and he will be a solid player for years to come.

8. Chris Bosh—This 6-10 power forward has made a huge splash during his few seasons in the NBA. In fact, he was recently named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his great start this season. For the past several years, he’s averaged about 22 points and 10 rebounds per game. Not bad for a 24-year-old.

9. Carl Landry—I know what you’re thinking—who the heck is Carl Landry? While he hasn’t had the success of other players in this league, he’s my wild-card pick for a future NBA star. During limited playing time with the Houston Rockets, he’s impressed scouts throughout the NBA. He’s a dunking machine, and his jump shot has improved over the off-season. If you’re looking to take a bit of a risk with investing, buy up some Carl Landry collectibles.

10. Kevin Martin—For the past couple seasons, Kevin Martin has quietly been averaging more than 20 points per game in Sacramento. While he might not play the most exciting style of basketball, he hits shots when the team needs him. Expect to hear more about Kevin Martin over the next few years.

Eric Brantner is a sports fan and freelance writer living in Houston.

Other stories by Eric Brantner:

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Days ago, El Capitan (Papa Stern) attempted to assuage the fears that I just raised, calling Donaghy essentially a lone gunman in this whole issue. A single man acting alone is a much easier pill to swallow than some mass conspiracy of manipulators. But is this ‘rouge’ ref really the pill we, the fans, should accept? Key words mentioned in the initial report, but avoided by Stern were any, even backhanded references, to the mob or the mafia. Maybe it was because of the sensitivity of the FBI investigation, or a lack of wanting to implicate Donaghy further than he already had without a fair trial (though Stern did an AMAZING job of hurling the man under the bus yesterday, just goes to show, threaten not the throne). But, the FBI have been allegedly investigating this man for over a year, and reports have stated that he has agreed to name certain ‘criminal’ actors who contributed to his compromising of the NBA. If it is only as far as the alleged mob ties that are named, fine. Putting a dent in organized crime shouldn’t affect us as sports fans, but what if the story played out where he wasn’t recruited by people he was in debt with, but instead by another official. What if there is a sub-culture among certain officials in the NBA dedicated to aiding gamblers betting the over/under on games? Is this likely? God, I hope not. This could be the latest in a string of helping people lose faith in the legitimacy of sport, but I think it is the biggest and can only hope that this acts as a wake up call for the NBA. Stern has handled drugs, fights, international expansion, Dennis Rodman…but this is truly his most trying moment, his darkest hour. And, whether they be fans or not, the world is watching. This is the time to bring back the casual fan to the NBA, this is the time to change playoff seating, to fix to the lottery. This is the moment the Association decides if it will sink or swim.

American sports fans hate to think that gambling can affect the outcomes of games. Halls of Fame throughout the land house drug addicts, racists, cheaters, and people who you would never want to meet in a dark ally. But, the 1919 White Sox are still the Chicago Black Sox, Shoeless Joe Jackson is better known as Say it Ain’t So Joe, and the only Hall of Fame that houses Pete Rose is the WWE (please don’t ask). I have to believe that this is the defining moment where the NBA reestablishes itself as a preeminent professional sporting league in the land. I have to believe that being tested in this fire will prove to strengthen my favorite league. I have to believe in this, because right now, I don’t know what to believe.