Pat Spencer Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: James, Spencer, Kings, Jones

August 12th, 2022 at 8:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

As the Lakers regroup from a miserable 2021/22 season, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wonders if aging superstar forward LeBron James would benefit from taking a page out of Kevin Durant‘s book and requesting a trade away from Los Angeles on his current expiring deal.

O’Connor writes that, if the Lakers are unable to trade for James’s old running mate Kyrie Irving, the team could consider trying to trade for Pacers veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield or Jazz guards Patrick Beverley and Jordan Clarkson. O’Connor opines that James should wait to sign an extension with Los Angeles until next summer, after seeing what moves Los Angeles makes to try to return to title contention.

Later, O’Connor reviews potential landing destinations for James should he (hypothetically) demand to be traded, including the Suns, the Knicks, the Trail Blazers, and a few familiar locales.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

In an interview with Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, Warriors training camp invitee Pat Spencer discussed his decision to move on from a decorated four-year lacrosse career at Loyola University Maryland. The 6’3″ guard subsequently played a season of NCAA basketball as a graduate-transfer student at Northwestern for the 2019/20 season. Following his tenure as a Wildcat, Spencer played in Germany and with the Wizards’ NBAGL affiliate the Capital City Go-Go. “I can’t really articulate what I love so much about basketball,” Spencer said. “It’s always been my first love, with lacrosse a close second.”
Sleep Train Arena, the former home court of the Kings for 28 seasons, is being demolished to make way for a new 730,000-square foot hospital, plus 3,000 new residences, a theater, shops and trails, per Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. Sacramento moved to the newly-constructed Golden 1 Center in 2016, as a condition of the club’s sale to majority owner Vivek Ranadive in 2013.
The specter of a possible Suns trade for Kevin Durant could linger through the start of the regular season. Greg Moore of the Arizona Republic thinks Phoenix president James Jones should determine a definitive deadline when he will stop considering a trade for Durant, to avoid having that uncertainty linger for several more months.

Warriors Sign Pat Spencer To Exhibit 10 Deal

July 25th, 2022 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have signed free agent guard Pat Spencer to an Exhibit 10 contract, agents Luke Glass and Keith Glass tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Spencer, 26, finished his college career at Northwestern in 2019/20 and joined the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ G League affiliate, last season. He appeared in 15 regular season games and nine Showcase Cup contests for the Go-Go, playing a limited role off the bench.

Spencer suited up for Washington’s Summer League team in Las Vegas earlier this month, averaging 6.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.8 RPG in four games (13.1 MPG).

While Spencer will occupy a spot on the Warriors’ 20-man offseason roster, he’s probably a long shot to make the regular season squad. The most likely outcome for Spencer is that he’s waived before the regular season begins and subsequently joins Golden State’s G League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors, as an affiliate player. In that scenario, he’d receive a $50K bonus if he spends at least 60 days with Santa Cruz.

Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals before the regular season begins, though both of the Warriors’ two-way slots are currently filled.

Summer League Commitments: Wolves, Warriors, Wizards, Magic

June 24th, 2022 at 5:11pm CST by JD Shaw

Kevon Harris has accepted a summer league invite from the Timberwolves, his agent Billy Davis of Family of Athletes told Hoops Rumors. Harris, a 6’6″ guard, averaged 14.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Raptors’ G League affiliate this season, shooting 49% from the floor and 39% from deep.

Harris went unselected in the 2020 NBA draft after spending four collegiate seasons at Stephen F. Austin. This will be the first summer league stint of his career. The event will be held from July 7-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

There’s more summer league news to report:

Richmond’s Jacob Gilyard has agreed to play summer league with the Warriors, a league source told Hoops Rumors. Gilyard, a 5’9″ point guard, averaged 13.3 points and 5.4 assists per game last season. He went undrafted on Thursday.
The Wizards are bringing guard Pat Spencer to their Las Vegas Summer League entry, agents Keith Glass and Luke Glass said. Spencer, 25, played for the team’s G League affiliate this season, averaging 7.5 points. Originally a lacrosse star at Loyola University Maryland, Spencer didn’t play organized basketball between 2016 and 2019. He left the school as the NCAA all-time leader in assists and second in points, then transitioned back to basketball.
Jared Wilson-Frame has committed to play with the Magic during summer league, agent Billy Davis told Hoops Rumors. Wilson-Frame averaged 16.4 points per game with the Jazz’s G League affiliate this season, shooting 41% from three-point range.