Is LaMelo Ball #196 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2020 Panini Court Kings · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of LaMelo Ball #196 sell for $290, only $0.00 above the $351 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($86.25) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $351
- PSA 10
- $290
- PSA 9
- $86.25
- Gem premium
- 0.8×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $290 | −$86.26 | −$111 | −$211 |
| PSA 9 | $86.25 | −$290 | −$315 | −$415 |
Net = sale price − $351 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $137 | −$264 |
| 50% | $188 | −$213 |
| 75% | $239 | −$162 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $400 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $377 | −$23.00 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $290 | −$110 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $174 | −$226 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $290 | $174 | $377 | $400 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $284 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $86.25 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2020 Panini Court Kings cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading LaMelo Ball #196 — FAQ
Is LaMelo Ball #196 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of LaMelo Ball #196 sell for $290, only $0.00 above the $351 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($86.25) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 LaMelo Ball #196 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LaMelo Ball #196 (Basketball Cards 2020 Panini Court Kings) sells for about $290 versus $351 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.8× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LaMelo Ball #196?
By resale value, SGC 10 leads at $400, ahead of BGS 10 at $377. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LaMelo Ball #196 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
Check my card free