Media day was on Monday for the Golden State Warriors, and most of the attention was on familiar names that we’ve been talking about all summer: Jonathan Kuminga, who remains unsigned but is likely nearing a deal; Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, who officially committed to signing with the team; and Gary Payton II, who re-signed just in time for media day. And then we got some news on a familiar name who we hadn’t been talking about lately: Pat Spencer.
The Warriors announced on Monday that Spencer
had been re-signed to a two-way contract. Spencer has been on a two-way contract with the Warriors for each of the past two seasons, his only years in the NBA. Last year he played in 39 games for the Dubs, and averaged 6.4 minutes, 2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting 40.6% from the field. The Warriors converted his two-way contract into a standard contract late in the year, which allowed the team to fill out the roster while staying under the apron, and also rewarded Spencer with a slightly larger payday.
Spencer, a 29-year old guard whose brother also plays in the NBA, is the perfect type of player to have on a two-way contract. He’s tough, smart, and selfless, and knows how to fit into Steve Kerr’s offense. He’s unlikely to play a big role for the team this season, but he’s an excellent practice player who can fill in when the team is short-handed.
The Warriors now have all three of their two-way contracts filled, with Spencer, Jackson Rowe, and Alex Toohey. However, two-way contracts can be swapped out throughout the year with no salary cap ramifications, so the Warriors can always change things up at some point.
