The Golden State Warriors have made an unsurprising move 48 hours after the NBA's trade deadline, signing guard Pat Spencer to a standard contract for the remainder of the season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday.
Spencer was active for his 50th game on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns -- the maximum allowed on a two-way contact -- meaning the Warriors needed to sign the 29-year-old right away in order to have him eligible to play moving forward.
Warriors unsurprisingly sign Pat Spencer to standard contract
The franchise couldn't afford to wait either considering Stephen Curry's knee concern, with the 2x MVP set to miss his third-straight game when Golden State visit Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Saturday night.
Curry's absence elevated Spencer into a starting role on Thursday against the Suns, and as he's done regularly when given the opportunity, the former Lacrosse star stepped up just when the Warriors needed him.
Spencer shattered his previous career-high of three made 3-pointers, drilling five in the first-half and six for the game to score a team-high (and career-high) 20 points as Golden State rallied with a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to record a 101-97 victory.
The Golden State Warriors are signing two-way guard Pat Spencer to a contract for the rest of the season, Mark Bartelstein and Ross Aroyo of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SBmavXvzVb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2026
This is the second-straight year where Spencer has started on a two-way contract before being converted to the main roster, having appeared in 39 games last season before being signed to a standard deal in time for the playoffs.
He's had a far more significant role so far this season, but it's easy to forget that Spencer wasn't actually signed to a two-way contract until media day. He may not have got that deal at all had Australian point guard Taran Armstrong not rejected a two-way qualifying offer from the Warriors to instead go and play overseas.
Golden State made room to sign Spencer by sending out three players before Thursday's trade deadline, subsequently reducing their roster from 15 to 13. The Warriors traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for veteran center Kristaps Porzingis, while sending Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a second-round pick.
Spencer has averaged 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his 36 games with Golden State this season, shooting 42.3% from the floor and an incredibly efficient 43.1% from 3-point range.
He'll get the opportunity to celebrate his elevation to the main roster with another major opportunity against the Lakers on Saturday, with Spencer expected to start again in Curry's absence and after his electric performance against the Suns.