Warriors sign Summer League standout Daeqwon Plowden to two-way deal

LAS VEGAS — The Warriors put together a strong Summer League team and found a gem in the process of a perfect 5-0 start.

Daeqwon Plowden, the 6-foot-6 wing who has impressed for the Summer Warriors, signed a two-way contract with Golden State, this news organization confirmed Tuesday.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the deal.

Plowden’s contract brings the Warriors to the maximum of three two-way players: Plowden, Pat Spencer and Reece Beekman. Two-way contracts in the summer are often fluid, so that situation is subject to change. Quinten Post, the center the Warriors drafted 52nd overall, has yet to play in Summer League as he ramps up from a minor leg injury and hasn’t yet signed a contract; late second-rounders often sign two-way deals, although many have signed guaranteed long-term contracts that have cap benefits.

Through two games in Vegas, Plowden is averaging 16.5 points on 54.5% shooting from the field and 62.5% from behind the arc. In a California Classic win over Miami, he dropped 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting, including six 3-pointers.

After Plowden dropped 19 in a win over the Summer Suns, head coach Anthony Vereen vouched for the versatile forward from Philadelphia.

“He’s showing that he should be in the NBA,” Vereen said. “The way he plays so hard, aggressively, on both ends, he doesn’t take a play off. It’s a pleasure as a coach to watch him put himself in a better position.”

Asked after that game if he felt like he was on the cusp of an NBA deal, Plowden said he tries not to focus on that, instead prioritizing playing team basketball and staying within himself.

Undrafted out of Bowling Green in 2022, the 25-year-old Plowden spent the past two years in the G League — first with the Pelicans’ affiliate and then in the Magic system.

The Warriors’ spacing and ball movement style fit Plowden’s game. He’s more of a play finisher than initiator, but has shown some verve off the bounce. He has been dynamic in transition and lethal as a catch-and-shoot gunner, making decisions without hesitation.

Organizational depth at the wing is one of the Warriors’ strong suits right now. As the roster stands, Golden State has Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, Lindy Waters III and now Plowden as combo forwards.