After back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, including a heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers likely won’t have the same success next season. Especially with star Tyrese Haliburton likely out for the season and long-time Pacer Myles Turner leaving for the Milwaukee Bucks.
That makes next season a transition year with players such as Ben Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard hopefully taking big steps forward. Then there is the recent addition of Jay Huff, a 7’1 big man who is expected to help replace Turner.
Jay Huff is the perfect bargain replacement for the Indiana Pacers
Adding Huff for the cost of two seconds is an intriguing development. He isn’t quite the defender that Turner is, but his advanced metrics are relatively comparable. A drop-off defensively is understandable, and the Pacers are likely to see a lot of drop-off on both sides of the ball.
Jay Huff
80% of Myles Turner at 8% of the price. His general style should be familiar to Pacers fans as a Stretch-5 who can protect the rim. He’s not as diverse offensively as Turner, but allows you to play in a similar style.#BoomBaby pic.twitter.com/CMlbWv4MB2
— CraftedNBA (@craftedNBA) July 6, 2025
But, fortunately for the Pacers, Huff is a better shooter than Turner. After all, he is a career 40.4% 3-point shooter, making him an intriguing center option for Indiana during what could be a down season for the Pacers.
Granted Huff has only played 95 games in his career thus far, but he has a high 3-point rate, showing that he isn’t shy in taking them. That bodes well for the Pacers, with that number potentially being maintainable if he were to play big minutes.
Will Jay Huff start for the Indiana Pacers next season?
It’s unclear whether he will start next season with the Pacers having several options, including Isaiah Jackson and Obi Toppin. But Huff will no doubt have a chance to play more than he did in his four previous stops. The Pacers will likely rely on a center by committee, with them playing several big men or having their rotation be game-specific.
If he can carve out a role, then he could add a new dimension to their offense. That is with him potentially being a high-volume 3-point shooter who can also roll to the basket and catch lobs for easy finishes on offense. Defensively, his length and size should help him protect the rim and anchor their defense.
All told, the Pacers were smart to take a flyer on Huff to see if he can stick. Given that he is a capable defensive player and an above-average shooter who makes a fraction of what Turner makes, he could be the perfect replacement.
