The Golden State Warriors have a decision to make on journeyman guard Pat Spencer this offseason.
Over the past three seasons, Spencer has carved out an inconsistent rotational role in Golden State, stepping up from a two-way to a standard contract in each of the past two season. Last offseason, the Warriors let him hit unrestricted free agency before ultimately bringing him back into the fold.
This offseason, Spencer will hit restricted free agency again. In one sense, the Warriors need reliable, consistent contributors on their roster who can take on minutes in the absence of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. As an additional ball-handling presence Spencer could be valuable.
But the reality is that, at age 29, Spencer has likely already reached his ceiling as a player. As Golden State prepares for life beyond the Stephen Curry era, his roster spot could be better-utilized on a young player with a chance to develop in Steve Kerr's system.
If the Warriors get the chance to replace Pat Spencer with a young guard, they should do it in a heartbeat
To a certain extent, Spencer is a viable rotational contributor. Across 66 games last season, he averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 35.7% from 3-point range. He took on major minutes as the Warriors were decimated by injuries, and he played an integral part in whatever minimal success Golden State found in Curry's absence in 2025-26.
He's become a fan-favorite during his time with the team, and rightfully so. He consistently plays with energy and hustle— something that's endeared him to Kerr and the fanbase alike.
But there are also major deficits in his game. His touch and vision as a ball-handler and facilitator are inconsistent, and he hasn't shown significant upside as a perimeter shooter to this point in his career.
For a typical guard with three years of NBA experience, there would be room to grow. But Spencer will be 30 by the start of the 2026-27 season. It's likely we've seen everything the Warriors can get out of Spencer.
Over the past few seasons, Golden State has done an excellent job seeking out talent in the second round of the draft and even in signing undrafted free agents. L.J. Cryer, for example, signed a two-way contract with the Warriors after the conclusion of last year's draft. Although he was still rehabbing an injury when he made his appearances last season, he showed immediate upside as a perimeter shooter.
If the Warriors get a chance to draft a guard like Ja'Kobi Gillespie out of Tennessee or Kylan Boswell out of Illinois at 54th overall, they should leap at the opportunity. Both players have extensive college experience. Both also have significant upside as reliable facilitators at the NBA level.
As the Warriors approach the inevitable end of Curry's career, they need to strike a careful balance between maintaining competitiveness and developing for the future. Spencer provides neither to the organization.
If a young guard is allowed time to develop under the guidance of Kerr and the current coaching staff, though, perhaps the Warriors could strike gold with a late draft pick on a two-way deal. Letting Spencer walk in free agency at least gives them the chance to take that risk.
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