Pat Spencer has already done enough this season to warrant his two-way contract being upgraded to a standard deal on the main roster, but it doesn't appear like the Golden State Warriors will do that anytime soon.
With young forward Jonathan Kuminga potentially on the move shortly after he becomes trade eligible on January 15, Spencer could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of a consolidation deal where the Warriors send out multiple players.
Warriors set to wait on giving Pat Spencer standard contract
Golden State don't have any roster spots available right now after signing Seth Curry at the start of December, yet that could change soon with a Kuminga trade. For example, a deal for Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. may also include Moses Moody and Buddy Hield, giving the Warriors at least one open roster spot to sign Spencer.
However, even if that trade was made as soon as humanly possible on Thursday, Golden State would likely wait until after the February 5 trade deadline to sign Spencer, according to NBA insider Marc Stein on Sunday.
As with several other two-way players whose contracts are likely to be converted to standard deals — such as Denver's Spencer Jones, Detroit's Daniss Jenkins and Golden State's Pat Spencer— teams are generally apt to wait until after the trade deadline for two-way conversions to maintain maximum roster flexibility for potential deals," Stein wrote.
The Warriors may have no choice but to wait anyway depending on how much room under the second apron cap they'd have after a trade. Either way, there's no real reason to rush when Spencer can still be active while on his two-way contract, while the longer they wait the better for Joe Lacob's back pocket when it comes to the luxury tax bill.
Spencer had a remarkable emergence in Stephen Curry's absence early last month, played at least 21 minutes in five-straight games and scoring double-digits in all of them. During that span, the 29-year-old averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals on 54.4% shooting from the floor and 57.1% from 3-point range, while also ranking second in plus-minus behind rookie Will Richard.
While he remained in the rotation for a few games following Curry's return, Spencer's opportunity has been more limited recently. He saw three-straight DNPs prior to Friday's blowout win over the Sacramento Kings where he had one rebound and two assists in just over four minutes.
Regardless, Spencer will very likely find himself on the main roster by season's end, just as he did last year where he actually made eight appearances during the playoffs.