The Phoenix Suns have added to their roster by inking former Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer to a two-way contract.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report that the Suns signed Spencer, who played the past three seasons with the Warriors.
“Free agent guard Pat Spencer has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Spencer’s role grew across three seasons in Golden State, where he averaged 7.2 points and 18.6 minutes last season,” Charania wrote on X.
Pat Spencer Played 3 Seasons in Golden State
The 29-year-old Spencer was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Warriors in 2022. He ended up spending parts of the next three seasons with the club, playing in 111 games, including 14 starts for the Warriors. He averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game in 13.6 minutes over his three seasons in San Francisco.
After playing in 6 games in his rookie season and then 36 games in his next season, the Warriors relied heavily on Spencer this past season, as he played 66 games with 14 starts for Golden State, which dealt with injuries to many of their players, including superstar Stephen Curry, giving Spencer more playing time.
This past season, Spencer averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .427% shooting from the field and .357% shooting from 3-point range, while making .772% of his free throws.
He was a solid player for Golden State, but with the team looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs this past season, roster changes were necessary, and unfortunately for Spencer, he was a casualty of the team’s roster crunch.
However, he was able to quickly land on his feet and join a young, up-and-coming Suns team that is looking to make a bigger splash next season after a surprising playoff berth this past year.
In Phoenix, look for Spencer to serve as a bench reserve for the team’s guards, though since he is on a two-way contract, he can also play for the Valley Suns of the NBA G League.
Pat Spencer is a Former Lacrosse Standout
One of the most incredible things about Spencer’s NBA story is that he’s a late bloomer in basketball, as he was formerly a top collegiate field lacrosse player.
In fact, Spencer holds the all-time NCAA men’s lacrosse record for the most career assists with 231, being considered one of the greatest field lacrosse players of all time.
Spencer was actually taken first overall in the 2019 Premier Lacrosse League collegiate draft. However, he chose not to pursue professional lacrosse, instead opting to try his hand at basketball. He played one season of college basketball at Northwestern University before becoming a pro basketball player.
After playing for the Hamburg Towers of the German Basketball Bundesliga, Spencer joined the Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards‘ NBA G League affiliate, before eventually landing with the Warriors, where he would play in parts of three NBA seasons, taking on a key reserve role this past season.
Spencer comes from a family of athletes, as his brother Cam Spencer plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.
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