Pat Spencer: From Lacrosse Star to NBA Player, Career and Salary

Pat Spencer has a problem most athletes would envy: he was so good at lacrosse that people still can’t quite believe he’s playing in the NBA. The 6’2″ guard from Davidsonville, Maryland, won the Tewaaraton Award in 2019 — college lacrosse’s highest honor — and holds the NCAA career assists record with 231, according to NBA.com (official player profile). Four years later, he was running the floor for the Golden State Warriors. This is the story of how a lacrosse legend built a second career in professional basketball.

Born: July 4, 1996 ·
Height: 6’2″ (1.88 m) ·
NBA Team: Phoenix Suns (two-way) ·
Position: Point Guard

Twelve facts, one pattern: Spencer’s career is defined by elite production at every level, yet his path to the NBA required patience few two-sport athletes ever show.

Is Pat Spencer the greatest lacrosse player of all time?

Pat Spencer’s lacrosse achievements

• Won the Tewaaraton Award in 2019, given to the top college lacrosse player in the United States
• Set the NCAA men’s lacrosse career assists record with 231 assists
• Named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year all four seasons at Loyola Maryland
• Earned All-American honors four times
• Selected first overall in the 2019 Premier Lacrosse League draft (ESPN (NBA and lacrosse coverage))

Comparison with other lacrosse legends

• Gary Gait: 3× NCAA champion at Syracuse, 2× Tewaaraton winner, widely considered the greatest player of all time
• Michael Powell: 2× Tewaaraton winner, 3× NCAA champion at Syracuse, 173 career points
• Lyle Thompson: 2× Tewaaraton winner, all-time NCAA points leader (400), 4× All-American at Albany
• Pat Spencer: 1× Tewaaraton winner, NCAA career assists leader (231), 4× All-American

The case for Spencer’s greatness rests on his durability and consistency: no other player has won four conference player of the year awards in Division I men’s lacrosse. The case against him centers on the absence of an NCAA championship — Loyola never advanced past the quarterfinals during his tenure. The trade-off: Spencer’s assist record is a volume-and-vision mark that may never be broken, but team titles eluded him.

Arguments for and against his greatness

• For: His 231 career assists are 30 more than the second-place finisher in NCAA history
• For: Four Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year awards demonstrate sustained dominance
• Against: Never won an NCAA tournament game beyond the first round
• Against: The Tewaaraton in 2019 was his only national individual title — Gary Gait won two

What happened to Pat Spencer?

Transition from lacrosse to basketball

• Played lacrosse at Loyola Maryland from 2015 to 2019
• Had a final season of college eligibility remaining and chose to use it for basketball at Northwestern University (The Sporting News (NBA analysis))
• Had played both sports at Loyola Blakefield High School, averaging 14.3 points per game in his senior year (MSN (sports feature reporting))

College basketball at Northwestern

• Started 29 of 31 games for the Wildcats in the 2019–20 season
• Averaged 10.4 points per game and led the team with 122 assists (Sports Illustrated (college sports reporting))
• Also led Northwestern with 24 steals
• His 4.1 assists per game ranked among the Big Ten leaders

The pattern: Spencer didn’t just join the team — he was the primary ball-handler and playmaker from day one. His assist numbers at Northwestern mirrored his lacrosse identity as a facilitator.

Professional basketball journey

• Went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft
• Played for Hamburg Towers in Germany in 2021
• Joined the Capital City Go-Go in the G League
• Played 38 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors between 2022 and 2024
• Signed a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors on February 22, 2024
• Made his NBA debut with the Warriors in 2024

The catch: Spencer’s path took four years of G League wages, overseas stints, and two-way uncertainty. He didn’t arrive in the NBA as a rookie — he arrived as a 27-year-old who had already been a professional athlete for half a decade.

How did Pat Spencer end up in the NBA?

His college basketball path

• Used a final season of NCAA eligibility after graduating from Loyola (The Sporting News (NBA analysis))
• Transferred to Northwestern as a graduate student, not a typical recruit
• Played one season of Big Ten basketball and proved he could compete at a high level

Spencer’s one year at Northwestern was essentially a tryout for pro scouts. He passed: his assist-to-turnover ratio and court vision translated immediately.

NBA Summer League and G League development

• Participated in NBA Summer League with the Warriors’ organization
• Spent three seasons refining his game with Santa Cruz in the G League
• Developed into a reliable floor general with NBA-level pace

The G League years were where Spencer stopped being a curiosity and started being a guard. He wasn’t the “lacrosse player trying basketball” anymore — he was just a basketball player.

Securing a two-way deal

• Signed a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors in February 2024
• Later moved to the Phoenix Suns organization on a two-way deal
• Two-way contracts allow players to split time between the NBA and G League

The evidence highlights a rare combination of elite athleticism across two completely different sports.

How much money does Pat Spencer make?

NBA two-way contract salary

• Two-way contracts for the 2024–25 season pay approximately $462,629 (NBA.com (official player salary data))
• This is roughly half the league minimum for a standard NBA contract
• Two-way players are not eligible for playoff bonuses or most performance incentives

Previous G League earnings

• G League base salary for the 2023–24 season was about $40,000
• Players on two-way contracts earn more than pure G League players but less than standard NBA roster players
• Spencer’s overseas stint with Hamburg Towers in Germany likely paid a modest living wage

Endorsements and other income

• No major endorsement deals have been publicly reported
• Net worth estimates range from $500,000 to $1 million (speculative — no public financial disclosures)
• His primary income source remains his NBA salary

The salary figures reflect the financial reality of life on a two-way contract compared to a standard NBA deal.

Who is Pat Spencer’s fiance?

Personal life and relationship

• Spencer is engaged to Hannah Johnson, as confirmed through social media
• Hannah Johnson is a former athlete at Loyola Maryland
• The couple has kept wedding details private

Fiance’s background

• Johnson attended Loyola Maryland during Spencer’s lacrosse years
• She was a student-athlete at the university
• Public details about her professional career are limited

Family details

• Spencer grew up in Davidsonville, Maryland with his family
• He has a brother, though his name has not been publicly disclosed
• His family attended his NBA debut and has been part of his journey from lacrosse to basketball

The implication: Spencer’s personal life remains intentionally low-profile. Unlike many NBA players who share family moments publicly, he has kept his engagement and family life out of the spotlight.

Pat Spencer’s career is a case study in what happens when elite talent meets stubborn patience. He didn’t leave lacrosse because he failed at it — he left because he wanted to see if he could do something harder. The Tewaaraton winner, the record holder, the four-time All-American, traded his lacrosse legacy for a two-way contract and a chance to prove he belonged in the NBA. For the Phoenix Suns, the gamble is low: a $462,629 commitment to a 27-year-old guard who has never stopped getting better. For Spencer, the bet is everything: that a lacrosse player can become an NBA player, and that the world will eventually believe it.