Jay Huff's first season with the Indiana Pacers was wildly up-and-down, and the jury is still out on whether he deserves to stick with the team for the foreseeable future.
The Virginia alum was the only Pacer to play in all 82 games this past season and averaged 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 47.6% from the field and 31.9% from deep.
Huff had his moments. He led the league in blocks per game for a good chunk of the season (this was while Victor Wembanyama was out with an injury, but still). He had 29 games where he shot 40% or better from deep. He set a career high with 29 points against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 16 (while shooting 13-for-17 from deep). And he scored 20 or more points in a game four other times.
However, the cons may outweigh the pros for him (he is a very streaky shooter and rebounder, is too slow to be a truly good fit in Indiana's system, and his salary will jump to $2.6 million next season, which doesn't bode well as a potential third-string center). And with their offseason officially underway, the Pacers may be better off trading Huff, especially if they are still interested in staying below the luxury tax, and rocking with Micah Potter as their backup to Ivica Zubac.
The Pacers may need to trade Jay Huff
Huff can be a solid backup for the Pacers. He has his weaknesses, but they would be much easier to hide in a reduced role. Unfortunately for him, this doesn't take away the fact that Potter is probably the better fit in Indiana's system anyway (at least offensively), and that may be all the justification the team needs to move on.
In 47 games for the Pacers this season, Potter averaged 9.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field and 42.3% from deep. And like Huff, the Ohio native is on a pretty cheap contract as he has a $2.8 million team option for next season.
Potter isn't as good defensively as Huff is, but he provides a lot more value as a shooter, passer, and rebounder. He is way more consistent, and his lows aren't as low as Huff's.
In any case, it wouldn't be a shock if the Pacers commit to Zubac and Potter as their two bigs and land another one in the draft. But as it stands, it is fair to assume that they aren't going to keep all three of their current centers on the roster for next season. And Huff may be the odd man out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google