Amidst a tough season, Plowden emerges as a bright spot. His G-League dominance translates to NBA flashes, pushing him towards a full-time contract.
The Sacramento Kings fell to 13-47 on Wednesday night after a 128-97 blowout at the hands of Reed Sheppard, Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets.
Sacramento has walked away the loser in 17 of their past 18 contests, but a new silver lining has materialized seemingly out of thin air with the recent development of Daeqwon Plowden. The 6-foot-4 guard added nine points, two rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes against Houston's vaunted defensive front.
The two-way contract signee has announced his presence as a versatile offensive option with room for improvement from a polish standpoint, averaging 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists through his first 11 appearances with the team.
Plowden's continued efforts have landed him squarely in the conversation to become the Kings' full-time standard contract addition come season's end, but the franchise's front office has until the final day of the regular season to make their decision.
After developing into a hyper-efficient star at the G-League level with box score figures of 22.5 points and 7.3 rebounds on a blistering 67.1% true shooting percentage with the Stockton Kings, Plowden's earned consistent burn amidst a turbulent campaign.
His three-and-D potential could very well make him the second player to earn a standard deal after rookie center Dylan Cardwell received a guaranteed 4-year contract Feb. 6, but can he really hold up as a full-timer just yet?
The main point of contention with Plowden is his lack of efficiency at the NBA level. NBA basketball is a different beast, even compared to a G-League talent pool which arguably makes it the second-most talented basketball league in the world.
But Plowden's already proven to be a more than capable scoring threat in the G through four seasons, placing him in a tough spot. His 2025-26 campaign in the majors has seen him shoot just 23.4% on 4.3 three-point attempts, though he's flashed potential with a few signature performances.
Most recently, Plowden scored a career-high 19 points on 4-for-9 shooting from deep in a 123-114 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night to snap the franchise's historic 16-game losing streak. Not only was he a consistent play-finisher, but his defensive activity certainly impacted the game's outcome.
Aside from whether his shots go down or not, his confidence and lack of hesitation to hoist up catch-and-shoot three-point chances are welcome signs that he's getting comfortable at the highest level.
Efficiency issues have become a major concern through 11 games of his second NBA season, and hope still exists that he can straighten out his shot in the coming weeks. He'll be aiming to prove that he's not worthy of being labeled a player that's too good for the G-League, but can't hang in the bigs.
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