Shams: Pat Spencer to Suns on two-way deal

Spencer didn’t shoot the ball efficiently on Thursday, but was able to be effective as a passer. His six assists were a tie for the most on the team, but he did commit three turnovers in the process. The third-year guard has scored in double figures in four of his last five appearances. He’ll have a chance to do so again on Friday against the Kings.

Richard was initially doubtful for Thursday’s game, so the status downgrade is unsurprising. More minutes will be available to LJ Cryer and Pat Spencer off the bench.

Spencer played 38 minutes off the bench and put up a balanced stat line. Despite shooting inefficiently, the reserve guard finished among seven Warriors in double figures; his production as a passer and rebounder also left him just shy of a triple-double. Spencer did have turnover issues, totaling five on the night. However, he played well off the bench and could potentially earn more playing time in the coming games.

Wednesday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Warriors, so Payton’s sitting is unsurprising. His absence should free up additional minutes for Pat Spencer and LJ Cryer.

Payton is managing his knee injury on the first night of this back-to-back, and there is a chance he misses one leg, even if it isn’t against San Antonio. His absence would open up extra minutes for Pat Spencer and LJ Cryer.

Melton will be unavailable for the first leg of this back-to-back. Gary Payton II has a good chance to replace him in the starting unit, with LJ Cryer and Pat Spencer taking on extra minutes off the bench.

Added to the Warriors’ injury report on Friday afternoon, Melton is now out. Given the team’s lack of depth, they’ll need even more production from Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos. Pat Spencer should also figure more prominently in the rotation, but he does not offer the same upside as Podziemski or Santos.

Melton is a late addition to the injury report due to left knee injury management, which doesn’t bode well for his availability. Golden State’s available scoring options are sparse, which means Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski could be leaned on for their scoring if Melton is ultimately ruled out. Pat Spencer could see additional playing time, too.

That means Moody will miss Friday’s home game against the Timberwolves, which will be his fifth missed game in a row, but could return at any point after that. As of now, his conditioning seems fine, but he is only shooting with his left hand, so we would assume he comes back near the tail end of the road trip, if at all. Moody was playing between 27 and 35 minutes per game before he got hurt, and while the Warriors may ease him back in, he should return to that role soon after his return. That means the current minutes and usage increase for Will Richard, Pat Spencer, and Gary Payton could be nearing an end.

The Warriors received solid contributions from their bench on Tuesday, with Spencer and LJ Cryer (17/1/2 with three three-pointers) scoring 17 points apiece. The former also provided solid value in the assist category, with his six helpers being the most in a game for Spencer since February 25 against the Grizzlies (nine). More should be learned about Stephen Curry’s progress on Wednesday as he continues to recover from a knee injury. His availability affects the fantasy values of the entire perimeter rotation, including Spencer and Cryer.