There's not much the Golden State Warriors can do to salvage this season. But they have the most important offseason of this era looming, and their focus must soon shift toward completing that task.
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green will be entering their final season under contract. It's easy to assume Steve Kerr will be back, but his contract expires after this season. As it stands, they have one more offseason to give Curry the roster he needs to elevate this team into championship contention.
No more Jonathan Kuminga to limit their cap flexibility. No more picking from the bottom of the barrel in free agency. No more excuses. The Warriors must act now, or they will see the Curry era end with a whimper.
This has implications all across the roster. Golden State can afford absolutely zero dead weight as they attempt to build out their team for next season.
Fan-favorite Pat Spencer could be finding a new home as a result.
Pat Spencer is a gritty player, but is he what the Warriors need?
Spencer has done more than enough to earn his minutes over the past two seasons with the Warriors. When he gets the opportunity to play, he uses his gritty play-style to make an impact in virtually every outing.
After beginning both last season and this season on two-way contracts, he was picked up on standard deals for the remainder of both campaigns. These were both well-deserved honors.
But when the Warriors have needed him most over the past few games, his production has been non-existent. He's averaged 26.5 minutes over his last six outings, but he's only averaged 6.2 points and shot 34.1% from the field in that span.
Spencer has shown enough in his short NBA career to earn his opportunity. If Golden State wants to bring him back next season, it's very possible it will need to be on a standard contract as opposed to a two-way. There are likely a number of teams out there who would love to have his skill-set in their rotation.
But the Warriors must execute this offseason perfectly. With Gui Santos signing a three-year, $15 million extension this past week, Spencer presents a bit of a redundancy going forward. Combined with his dip in production, a serious question needs to be answered.
Is it truly worth bringing Spencer back for another season if they cannot do so on another two-way contract?
If that roster spot can be used on one of their upcoming draft picks or a high-upside veteran, the answer is clear. Spencer's time with the Warriors could rapidly be coming to a quiet end.