INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 18: Jay Huff #32 of the Indiana Pacers reacts against the Portland Trail Blazers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 18, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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INDIANAPOLIS – Jay Huff is in new territory as he heads into his sixth NBA season and second with the Indiana Pacers. For the first time ever, his offseason is defined by stability.
The Virginia product has been everywhere, often chasing his next contract. After going undrafted in 2021, he found himself on the Los Angeles Lakers roster via a two-way contract. He was waived four months later, becoming a free agent. His second season started in the G League, then Huff inked a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards late in the 2022-23 campaign.
He was unsigned again after his time in DC before signing a two-way pact with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, which expired the following summer. Huff then joined the Memphis Grizzlies on a two-way deal ahead of the 2024-25 season – but fate changed this time. Early in that season, he signed a multi-year standard contract for the first time as a pro.
It took four years, four two-way contracts, and four different teams, but Huff had finally earned some stability. It was short lived. The contract was only lightly guaranteed in future seasons, meaning Huff still had financial uncertainty. And he was traded in the 2025 offseason as Memphis shipped him to the Pacers for a second-round draft pick and a pick swap.
That summer, Huff didn’t need a new deal for once. But he did have to adjust his life and basketball focuses once again as he went to his fifth team in as many years. Yet finally, after all of that, things have been stable for Huff in 2026.
By reaching a certain minutes played threshold last season, Huff’s contract for 2027-28 (which is covered by a team option) is fully guaranteed. So the upcoming campaign features something new for Huff in that, for once, absolutely nothing about his situation is new. Unless he’s moved in the next few weeks, he will be on the same team on opening night for consecutive seasons. And he didn’t spend all summer worrying about his contractual future.
“Love not having to move,” Huff said this week. “I love being employed. That is really nice… It was great.”
What has Pacers center Jay Huff done in his offseason?
Huff, 28, spent most of his summer in Indianapolis outside of some travelling, which included a trip to the NBPA facility known as The Sanctuary in Andalucía, Spain. Huff has been there before for some summer tune up sessions. He also went to Los Angeles with about 10 of his Pacer teammates to scrimmage together.
Critically, he’s gotten to play some basketball with Tyrese Haliburton, his star teammate that missed all of 2025-26. “He makes everybody around him better, and I think that’s really useful to have,” Huff said of their developing partnership. “I think just having him back, learning to play together— he’s got a lot of guys back that have played with him – but it’s been good to kind of learn that because we hadn’t done that yet.”
Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) stands on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
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Those words show the advantages of remaining with the same team from one year to the next. Sure, Huff is building chemistry with Haliburton. But that’s it. For once, he will go into a season with some established rapport with the rest of his teammates.
Right now, Huff projects to be Indiana’s backup center behind starter Ivica Zubac. Having any role with the blue and gold requires some connection with Haliburton – and at a bare minimum an understanding of how the star point guard influences the team’s style of play. Huff didn’t have that last year even as he adjusted to the Pacers system.
He ended up playing in all 82 games, just one of just 18 players to accomplish the feat. Huff averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during his first season with the franchise.
Year two will feature a better understanding of, well, everything. His teammates, first and foremost – that’s never been the case for the big man entering a season. Huff will also understand the Pacers system better and will have a full offseason of training without contractual distractions. Those factors may lead to a more productive season.
The Pacers will hope it does. Huff had his second-fewest points and rebounds per minute last season while also having his three-point percentage dip to 31.9% after being over 40% the year prior. There are many areas where he can bounce back.
To his credit, Huff improved as a passer – a must given Indiana’s style of play. And his shot blocking numbers were enormous, most of them trailing only Victor Wembanyama on league leaderboards. Huff still had some utility, which gives him a production floor worthy of his spot on an NBA roster.
His ceiling is worthy of a rotation spot, and Huff is taking the steps to hit it. He’s done a lot of running in the offseason to prepare for a role that requires him to run from rim to rim and hit the open floor in transition.
The North Carolina native has also added some muscle, a needed change given his thinner frame. “We’ve been playing a lot of pickup, bulked up a little bit while still trying to be fast,” Huff said, noting later that he’s gained between 10 and 15 pounds this offseason. “I’ve been in the weight room a lot, been working on my jumper a lot. Simple.”
Simple indeed, yet exactly what he needs. Huff’s sixth NBA season will be defined by how much stability helps him improve. The Pacers hope to return to their winning ways after a 19-win campaign in 2025-26, and their backup center bulking up and being more impactful would certainly make that more likely.
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