As the Golden State Warriors look to re-tool around their veteran core this offseason, they will need to maximize their bench depth around their primary scorers, and, as a result, 28-year-old guard Pat Spencer could be a casualty of the team's search for roster improvements.
Spencer, whose receiving of a standard NBA contract this season represented the culmination of a remarkable journey from college lacrosse to the NBA, had a pair of surprising playoff performances that helped endear him to the hearts of Warriors fans.
However, as Golden State looks to compete for another championship, there are likely better ways they can use their roster spots than on an aging guard with very little NBA experience, resulting in the probably, and unfortunate, departure of Spencer.
Spencer might not be what the Warriors need right now
Spencer, who averaged 2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists through 39 games this season for the Warriors, had an incredible journey onto the team's roster.
After playing four years of college lacrosse at Loyola University, he turned down professional offers for that sport, opting to use his graduate eligibility to play basketball at Northwestern University. He then went on to play in Germany and the G-League, ultimately signing a two-way contract with Golden State in 2024 that was converted to a standard contract late this past season.
Spencer, after averaging just 6.4 minutes a game during the regular season, got his opportunity in the playoffs with the injuries to Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry. Across 64 total minutes in the playoffs, Spencer scored 36 points, even scoring in double digits twice during the Houston Rockets series.
Despite the fact that Spencer showed hustle and energetic scoring potential, it is likely that his game is not polished enough to see any more significant minutes on a contending team, and, given the fact of his restricted free agency this offseason, it is not likely that the Warriors will bring him back.
Although they could sign him to another two-way, keeping him in the wings in case of injury or another heavily-packaged trade deal such as the one for Butler, Spencer will be 29 at the start of next season and will likely be looking for a better opportunity.
Similarly, Golden State would be wise to use the roster spot to sign a player to a veteran minimum contract: particularly a veteran guard who could help fill out some of the non-Curry minutes., such as Dante Exum or Cameron Payne.
Therefore, Spencer could be on the hunt for his next opportunity this offseason.