Possibly the best decision the Sacramento Kings have made this season was moving Dylan Cardwell from a two-way G League contract to a standard NBA contract. The Kings might be on the verge of hitting it big with another G League player, Daeqwon Plowden. And he's looking like a baller.
Plowden played for Bowling Green State University from 2017 to 2022. He declared for the 2022 NBA Draft but wasn't selected. He spent the next few seasons bouncing around the NBA and the G League until the Kings finally signed him to a two-way contract in 2025.
So far, he's spent most of this season playing in Stockton or sitting on the Sacramento bench. There hasn't been much opportunity for him to play for Sacramento, given the number of players on the roster. That's changed in more recent games, particularly since the trade deadline.
The Kings traded three players away and only added one new one to the roster. That made room for a breakout two-way rookie, Dylan Cardwell, to finally be signed to a proper NBA contract. Sacramento might be on the verge of doing the same thing for Daeqwon Plowden after his recent gameplay.
Daeqwon Plowden is about to arrive
Plowden has been picking up some serious steam since the trade deadline, which was only a few days ago. That included getting his first NBA start ever against the Cavaliers on February 7th. He played 39 minutes, scored 16 points, and collected six rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
In a smattering of appearances before that, Plowden was a notable presence, but there's no question that the Cavs game was his best performance as a King. If Sacramento keeps giving Plowden real opportunities like this, he'll be the next guy on a full NBA contract.
With previous G League and NBA teams, Plowden has shown he has what it takes to take that next step. Plus, he's only 27, has a skill set the Kings could really use in the rebuild, and isn't a fresh-faced rookie, not that there's anything wrong with that. Daeqwon could be a great fit.
Rather than making difficult trades or putting all their hopes on a draft pick, it makes sense for the Kings to put their G League stars and two-way players through their paces first. Plowden could be the perfect guy to play alongside Cardwell and the rest of the young squad Sacramento is building.