LOS ANGELES – Since joining the Golden State roster three seasons ago, Pat Spencer has been often perceived as an oddity more than as a hooper.
He famously gave up lacrosse to pursue basketball, and has become a fan-favorite in garbage time while yo-yoing between the G-League and the Warriors.
Spencer, 29, showed up to the preseason media day a full hour before the Warriors sent out their customary press release announcing his signing, an afterthought as a two-way player who was limited to just 50 appearances on the Golden State roster.
But after the Warriors used every single one of those available games, it was obvious to all that the uber-intense Spencer had more than earned a standard contract with the team.
And now that the team had two open roster spots following trade deadline deals that sent Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and Trayce Jackson-Davis out while bringing in just Kristaps Porzingis, the team could now make it happen.
That’s what the Warriors did a few hours before playing the Lakers in Los Angeles on Saturday, inking Spencer to the roster for the rest of the season.
The Warriors did something similar last year, but Spencer is far more than emergency guard insurance this year.
It was a mere formality after he put up 20 points against the Suns on Thursday.
Golden State Warriors' Pat Spencer #61 brings the ball downcourt as he's guarded by Miami Heat's Dru Smith #12 in the second quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Pat Spencer #61 brings the ball downcourt as he’s guarded by Miami Heat’s Dru Smith #12 in the second quarter of their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
“I don’t know if relief is the right word,” Spencer said on Thursday night. “We’ve got some phone calls to make here, and 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.”
So how has Spencer broken through into being a reliable rotational player for a team with playoff hopes? Coach Steve Kerr pointed to an improved jumper.
“I think the biggest thing for Pat is just to shoot it, shoot the three. Let it rip,” Kerr said. “When he shoots that shot, even if he doesn’t make it, it just sets up the offense. We can crash, we can get offensive boards. There’s a flow to the game, so people want to go under screens or don’t pay attention to him? He’s got to let it fly.”
In limited NBA minutes over his first two seasons, Spencer was allergic to letting it fly from deep. He attempted just 24 4-pointers in 45 games, often passing up open shots for more contested drives to the rim.
This year, that volume is up to 1.8 attempts per game in just 14.4 minutes a night, and he makes 43.1% of those shots, compared to just 22.7% the year before.
However, there were always signs that he could be a more prolific shooter at the pro level. In34 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2023-24, he attempted a healthy 4.3 long bombs per game in 27.5 minutes a night.
Golden State Warriors' Pat Spencer (61) shoots as Cleveland Cavaliers' Craig Porter Jr., rear, and Thomas Bryant defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Golden State Warriors’ Pat Spencer (61) shoots as Cleveland Cavaliers’ Craig Porter Jr., rear, and Thomas Bryant defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
With his newfound – or perhaps, refound – love of the deep jumper, Spencer has made the most of his extended opportunities this season, especially when Curry has missed games with injuries.
Spencer briefly captured the imagination of the larger NBA public in early December, when his teammates dubbed the guard “that mother(expletive)” after a string of impressive performances while Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry struggled with injuries.
During a five-game stretch, Spencer averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per appearance, taking advantage of a revamped Warriors offense that saw Kerr scrap much of the motion attack for a high ball screen scheme that took advantage of Spencer’s speed as a driver.
“Without Steph, for sure, he’s got to be out there,” Kerr said after Spencer almost willed the Warriors to a win against the Sixers in December. “It would be great to find a way to get him on the roster, because he’d be the perfect guy to have as a backup. He can win you games, like he almost did tonight.”
Spencer’s minutes have dropped off since then, but he has remained a sparkplug off the bench whenever called upon even as his games played number crept ever closer to the limit.
But after the trade deadline, Spencer can show off his “let it rip” mentality as a fulltime Warrior.