Bulkier Jay Huff Returning To Same Team For Once. Will Pacers Benefit?

Aug 31, 2026 10:56 AM - 1 hour ago 4

INDIANAPOLIS – Jay Huff is successful caller territory arsenic he heads into his sixth NBA play and 2nd pinch the Indiana Pacers. For the first clip ever, his offseason is defined by stability.

The Virginia merchandise has been everywhere, often chasing his adjacent contract. After going undrafted successful 2021, he recovered himself connected the Los Angeles Lakers roster via a two-way contract. He was waived 4 months later, becoming a free agent. His 2nd play started successful the G League, past Huff inked a two-way woody pinch the Washington Wizards precocious successful the 2022-23 campaign.

He was unsigned again aft his clip successful DC earlier signing a two-way pact pinch the Denver Nuggets successful 2023, which expired the pursuing summer. Huff past joined the Memphis Grizzlies connected a two-way woody up of the 2024-25 play – but destiny changed this time. Early successful that season, he signed a multi-year modular statement for the first clip arsenic a pro.

It took 4 years, 4 two-way contracts, and 4 different teams, but Huff had yet earned immoderate stability. It was short lived. The statement was only lightly guaranteed successful early seasons, meaning Huff still had financial uncertainty. And he was traded successful the 2025 offseason arsenic Memphis shipped him to the Pacers for a second-round draught prime and a prime swap.

That summer, Huff didn’t request a caller woody for once. But he did person to set his life and hoops focuses erstwhile again arsenic he went to his 5th squad successful arsenic galore years. Yet finally, aft each of that, things person been unchangeable for Huff successful 2026.

By reaching a definite minutes played threshold past season, Huff’s statement for 2027-28 (which is covered by a squad option) is afloat guaranteed. So the upcoming run features thing caller for Huff successful that, for once, perfectly thing astir his business is new. Unless he’s moved successful the adjacent fewer weeks, he will beryllium connected the aforesaid squad connected opening nighttime for consecutive seasons. And he didn’t walk each summertime worrying astir his contractual future.

“Love not having to move,” Huff said this week. “I emotion being employed. That is really nice… It was great.”

What has Pacers halfway Jay Huff done successful his offseason?

Huff, 28, spent astir of his summertime successful Indianapolis extracurricular of immoderate travelling, which included a travel to the NBPA installation known arsenic The Sanctuary successful Andalucía, Spain. Huff has been location earlier for immoderate summertime tune up sessions. He besides went to Los Angeles pinch astir 10 of his Pacer teammates to scrimmage together.

Critically, he’s gotten to play immoderate hoops pinch Tyrese Haliburton, his prima teammate that missed each of 2025-26. “He makes everybody astir him better, and I deliberation that’s really useful to have,” Huff said of their processing partnership. “I deliberation conscionable having him back, learning to play together— he’s sewage a batch of guys backmost that person played pinch him – but it’s been bully to benignant of study that because we hadn’t done that yet.”

Indiana Pacers halfway Jay Huff (32) stands connected the tribunal during the first half of an NBA hoops crippled against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Those words show the advantages of remaining pinch the aforesaid squad from 1 twelvemonth to the next. Sure, Huff is building chemistry pinch Haliburton. But that’s it. For once, he will spell into a play pinch immoderate established rapport pinch the remainder of his teammates.

Right now, Huff projects to beryllium Indiana’s backup halfway down starter Ivica Zubac. Having immoderate domiciled pinch the bluish and golden requires immoderate relationship pinch Haliburton – and astatine a bare minimum an knowing of really the prima constituent defender influences the team’s style of play. Huff didn’t person that past twelvemonth moreover arsenic he adjusted to the Pacers system.

He ended up playing successful each 82 games, conscionable one of conscionable 18 players to execute the feat. Huff averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per crippled during his first play pinch the franchise.

Year 2 will characteristic a amended knowing of, well, everything. His teammates, first and foremost – that’s ne'er been the lawsuit for the large man entering a season. Huff will besides understand the Pacers strategy amended and will person a afloat offseason of training without contractual distractions. Those factors whitethorn lead to a much productive season.

The Pacers will dream it does. Huff had his second-fewest points and rebounds per infinitesimal past play while besides having his three-point percent dip to 31.9% aft being complete 40% the twelvemonth prior. There are galore areas wherever he tin bounce back.

To his credit, Huff improved arsenic a passer – a must fixed Indiana’s style of play. And his changeable blocking numbers were enormous, astir of them trailing only Victor Wembanyama connected convention leaderboards. Huff still had immoderate utility, which gives him a accumulation level worthy of his spot connected an NBA roster.

His ceiling is worthy of a rotation spot, and Huff is taking the steps to deed it. He’s done a batch of moving successful the offseason to hole for a domiciled that requires him to tally from rim to rim and deed the unfastened level successful transition.

The North Carolina autochthonal has besides added immoderate muscle, a needed alteration fixed his thinner frame. “We’ve been playing a batch of pickup, bulked up a small spot while still trying to beryllium fast,” Huff said, noting later that he’s gained betwixt 10 and 15 pounds this offseason. “I’ve been successful the weight room a lot, been moving connected my jumper a lot. Simple.”

Simple indeed, yet precisely what he needs. Huff’s sixth NBA play will beryllium defined by really overmuch stableness helps him improve. The Pacers dream to return to their winning ways aft a 19-win run successful 2025-26, and their backup halfway bulking up and being much impactful would surely make that much likely.