Despite the majority of media members and fans shifting their focus towards the Milwaukee Bucks and their decision to sign Myles Turner and cut Damian Lillard, the Indiana Pacers also came away as big losers in the ordeal.
While the Bucks are on the books for both Turner’s contract and Lillard’s, the Pacers are now faced with the reality that two crucial components of a team that just went to the NBA Finals will not play for them next season.
While Tyrese Haliburton’s injury was freakish, sad, and disappointing for everyone in the basketball world, Turner’s departure was simply shocking. After years of Turner’s name popping up every season as a potential trade target, his exit comes at a time when almost everyone believed he would be in Indiana for the long haul.
With the Pacers now lacking an interior threat and rim protector on the defensive end, they decided to play offense by making a trade of their own for former Memphis Grizzlies big man Jay Huff.
Pacers Trade for Jay Huff To Address Glaring Roster Hole
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft following an impressive career at Virginia, Huff has bounced between NBA franchises and their G-League affiliates. He was initially picked up by the Lakers before spending time with the Wizards, Nuggets, and most recently, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Statistically, last season was arguably Huff’s best. His 6.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists are lower than his single-season career highs, but the previous highs came over a seven-game stint with the Wizards in the 2022-23 season. He appeared in 64 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 11.7 minutes per game as a reliable bench option behind Jaren Jackson Jr.
ESPN insider Shams Charania shared news of the trade on social media, writing, “The Memphis Grizzlies are trading center Jay Huff to the Indiana Pacers for one second-round pick and one second-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN.”
The Memphis Grizzlies are trading center Jay Huff to the Indiana Pacers for one second-round pick and one second-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2025
Huff’s stats certainly don’t jump off the page, and he almost certainly will not be able to recreate the impact that Turner had for the Pacers last season. Turner averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists during the 2024-25 campaign while also providing elite rim protection that most believe Huff cannot. To his credit, Huff did average nearly a block per game for the Grizzlies last year.
Jay Huff’s top five NBA dunks pic.twitter.com/MyEWErgglQ
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) October 28, 2024
While this trade may not be the be-all end-all for the Pacers in their quest to return to the NBA Finals and claim the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy, it’s not a bad place to start.
Huff can act as a serviceable big man and rotational piece, or even as a starter in a dire situation. Unless the Pacers make a move to get a star big, their situation will remain dire for the foreseeable future.