G League Star Signs Deal With Eastern Conference NBA Team

An Eastern Conference contender has signed a new deal with a star G League player.

Oct 16, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Daeqwon Plowden (29) and Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson (16) battle for rebound position in the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The G League has proven to be an excellent place for players to develop into genuine threats in the NBA proper. This includes the likes of Rudy Gobert, Khris Middleton, and Pascal Siakam.

Now, it looks like another G League standout could potentially make his mark.

According to a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Atlanta Hawks have officially signed a two-way deal with Daeqwon Plowden who plays for their G league affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.

"The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a two-way deal with Daeqwon Plowden, agent Drew Kelso of [One Motive Sports] told [HoopsHype]," Scotto said.

The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a two-way deal with Daeqwon Plowden, agent Drew Kelso of @OneMotiveSports told @hoopshype. Plowden has averaged 14.2 points and shot 38.5 percent from 3-point range for Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. pic.twitter.com/dMooy7xbYK

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 27, 2024

Plowden will be joining the likes of star guard Trae Young, small forward De'Andre Hunter, shooting guard Dyson Daniels.

Right now, the Hawks are sitting at fifth place in the Eastern Conference with an 18-15 record with one of the five-best offenses in the NBA. However, they are ranked 26th on defense, allowing 118.8 points per game according to FOX Sports.

Plowden could prove to be an excellent addition to improve that defense, especially when he's performing so well with the Skyhawks.

In the G League, Plowden has averaged 14.2 points, 3.7 total rebounds, one steal, 0.9 assists, and 0.7 blocks per game across 14 games.

Plowden began his playing career with the Bowling Green Falcons, where he played for five seasons. During his time there, he was named Second-team All-MAC (2020), Third-team All-MAC (2021, 2022), and to the MAC All-Defensive Team (2022).

In his final season with Bowling Green, Plowden averaged 15.7 points, 6.8 total rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. He holds the school record for most games played (154).

Although he had an impressive tenure with Bowling Green, Plowden went unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft. He played with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Summer League and played for their G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

Afterward, he played with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2023 NBA Summer League and his rights were traded to the Osceola Magic in 2023. On July 16, 2024, he signed a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors, but was waived in September.

Now, it seems that Plowden is finally getting his chance to play in the NBA proper. And given his particular skillset, he could be exactly what Atlanta needs.

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