The Indiana Pacers took a flier on Jay Huff when they traded for him from the Memphis Grizzlies in the offseason. In his first season with the team, he's shown a ton of flashes. But the Pacers quickly came to a bittersweet realization: he can provide value, but he's not their long-term answer at center.
Indiana likely never truly thought Huff was going to be a one-for-one replacement for Myles Turner. Both are stretch bigs who can protect the rim, but Turner has way more of a resume than Huff does. Either way, given that this season was always going to be about experimentation for the Pacers, banking on Huff to potentially become a starting-level big man was a solid low-risk, high-reward idea.
Nearly three months into the season, the Pacers have discovered that, while Huff might be a contributor well past this season, they still need an upgrade at center if they want to re-enter the title picture.
Jay Huff can be a fantastic long-term backup for the Pacers
There's a lot to like about Huff and what he brings to Indiana. He's far from a perfect player, but he can be a real three-point shooting threat when he's on, and he's already showcased that he can protect the rim at an elite level.
Since Nov. 28 (when he took over as the Pacers' starting center), the Virginia alum has averaged 9.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.7 assists in 22.7 minutes across 20 games. He also shot 48.2% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc during that stretch.
These aren't jaw-dropping numbers, but given that Huff had averaged just 9.6 minutes across 95 career games before this season, they were promising.
Unfortunately for Huff and the Pacers, he still has a lot of flaws that are just too much to ignore, and they have come to light numerous times this season.
The North Carolina native has gradually looked more comfortable in Indiana's system, but he is way too slow to ever truly be a good fit. Additionally, his shot is way too inconsistent for him to be a real, big-time contributor for the Pacers. He's also not someone who's going to elevate his game against the top centers in the league, and for a team that still has championship hopes down the line, this isn't ideal.
Still, it wouldn't be a bad thing for the Pacers to keep Huff around past this season. He might not be a starting-caliber center, but he can provide fantastic minutes off the bench if he is just asked to come in, shoot some threes, and block some shots. This ultimately may be the best role for him anyway.
As for the Pacers' long-term answer at center, there are a few options.
So far, they have been linked to five big men (h/t Michael Scotto of HoopsHype): Walker Kessler, Ivicia Zubac, Daniel Gafford, Nic Claxton, and Yves Missi. All five of these big men would be fantastic additions for the Pacers, and if any of them are truly available, they might be the upgrade the team needs.
With the trade deadline less than a month away, the Pacers will be a team worth monitoring. They're in need of a new starting center, but no matter who they land (if anybody), there should still be a role for Huff, who is holding it down right now, for the long run.