Daeqwon Plowden Continues to Impress as Kings Fall to Magic

After a disappointing blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Sacramento Kings made it a close battle against the Orlando Magic tonight, but fell 121-117 in the end. As Doug Christie mentioned in his postgame conference, it was a competitive affair for the Kings, which is really all we can ask for at this point as Sacramento's season winds down.

They fall to 19-55 on the season and now have just eight games left before the season comes to a long-awaited end. The nights like against Charlotte are going to happen, but this is what Christie continues to search for, even if wins and losses don't matter.

One of the players who is taking advantage of that opportunity the most is Daeqwon Plowden, who once again impressed with an increased role. He topped his career-high, which he set against the Hornets, with 23 points tonight on an impressive 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-10 from three.

Outside of DeMar DeRozan, who we all know is more than capable of carrying a team on any given night, he was the only real bright spot on the night who stood out.

Continued Success

Tonight wasn't the start of a new trend for Plowden, and it's not even just back-to-back career-high games for the 27-year-old wing. It is now a nine-game trend where he's averaging more than 15 points per game.

In the last night games, Daeqwon Plowden is averaging:
15.9 PTS
3.3 REB
1.0 AST
1.1 STL
47.2% FG
39.7% 3P

Making the most out of his opportunity and showing he belongs pic.twitter.com/JCxuvo2c9e
— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) March 27, 2026

Plowden has impressed all season, but this is by far the biggest opportunity that he's had so far. In those nine games, he's averaged just over 32 minutes per game. He may only have two starts during the stretch, but he's getting starter-level minutes on a nightly basis.

What really stands out about his recent play is the consistency. He doesn't have a 30+ point game to prop up his average, but is consistently giving somewhere between 10-16 points per game. Some nights, like the last two games, he'll jump up into the 20s, but he hasn't dipped below double-digits, which is impressive for someone with so little NBA experience.

He's looking more and more confident with every game, and he's not hesitating to shoot from beyond the arc. He shot a team-high ten threes tonight and is taking 7.6 over the last nine games. The Kings are always in desperate need of more three-point shooting, both in terms of shot taking, and making. And lately, Plowden has been doing both.

Plowden's Future

Mar 19, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Daeqwon Plowden (29) scores against Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (1) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Plowden is still playing on his two-way contract, which means his future with the Kings is up in the air. He's likely done enough to earn a contract of some sort for next season, but the question will be what his role will be.

He falls in the unfortunate 'small wing' category, of which the Kings always seem to collect. He does play bigger than his 6-foot-4 height would suggest, but he'll have to battle with Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nique Clifford, and Devin Carter for minutes next season, barring trades.

In an ideal world, not all of the veterans will be back in Sacramento next season, but trading them is easier said than done. But Plowden, at least, is showing that he deserves a real contract. These games might not mean much, but he's fighting for his NBA life and showing that he belongs in this league.