Pat Spencer #61 of the Golden State Warriors
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Pat Spencer #61 of the Golden State Warriors
It would be hard to argue that any player on the Golden State Warriors–indeed, any player in the NBA today or in recent memory–has had a stranger road to a spot in the league than Pat Spencer. He was a collegiate star at Loyola Maryland … in lacrosse. There, he set the NCAA record for assists, wrapping up his career in 2019, at which time he was the first-ever draft pick in the upstart Premier Lacrosse League. But rather than join the PLL, he wanted to give college hoops one last show, so at age 23, he landed with Northwestern.
And he was pretty good, averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds as a starter in the Big Ten, which was good enough to get him a look in the G League, where he eventually landed on the Warriors’ affiliate in Santa Cruz.
Of course, he worked his way up from there, making his debut for the Warriors at age 27, getting a longer look last season in Golden State and now, working on a two-way contract this season–in which he has averaged 5.8 points in 36 games. Spencer scored 20 points with six rebounds and four assists in Tuesday’s win over the Suns, in what was a bittersweet game for him.
Pat Spencer: ‘We’ve Got Some Phone Calls to Make’
Logging a career high in scoring in an emotional win to stop a two-game losing streak was the sweet part for Spencer. The bitter part was that it was his 50th appearance on the active roster, meaning he has run out of eligibility as a two-way player. League rules cap two-ways at 50 games on the active roster.
“We’ve got some phone calls to make here,” Spencer said after the game. “Business is business. We’ll figure it out. But I’m beyond thankful for this organization and what we’ve been able to do together. I’m thankful they’ve given me an opportunity.”
Indeed, Spencer does have some loyalty to the Warriors as an organization, but business will dictate he at least make phone calls and see what other opportunities are on the books for him elsewhere, especially because the trade deadline has passed and more teams have roster spots and flexibility.
Warriors Could Give a Full Contract
But the expectation remains the Spencer will re-sign with the Warriors on a standard contract, probably at the minimum for this year, and perhaps for multiple years. The Warriors have a roster spot and some extra wiggle room after trading away Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis before the deadline.
He has proven to be a valuable bench piece in Golden State, which needs point guard help behind star Steph Curry. Spencer has developed his 3-point shot and is making 42.3% of them this year. He’s also played well defensively, which has earned him a bigger role from Steve Kerr.
As Kerr said about Spencer last month: “He’s just a gamer, he’s so competitive, he fights for everything. He’s earned everything he’s gotten. He’s the kind of guy you want on your team because he embodies what you preach about competitiveness, unity, and being ready for your opportunity, and being part of the group. Fantastic teammate and I love coaching him.”