After a fairytale run to the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers were dealt two blows in quick succession. Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear dominated news cycles, but Myles Turner leaving the team for the Milwaukee Bucks hurt a lot of fans, too. Now, what seems to be Turner’s replacement, Jay Huff, is turning heads.
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Having tasted Finals basketball, fans in Indy were expecting to bide their time for Hali to get healthy again and make another run at the chip, but Turner had other plans. Of course, he claims it was to stay competitive in a league where championship windows are becoming smaller and smaller.
However, that didn’t stop fans from feeling betrayed. The Bucks and the Pacers have had a very intense rivalry for two seasons now, with the latter defeating the former in the playoffs for two seasons in a row.
Now the Pacers have obviously moved on, and it seems like their new starting center will be Jay Huff, who was a solid bench option for the Grizzlies last season. A workout video of Huff dunking was posted to X, and Haliburton was clearly excited by what he saw. He quoted the video and expressed his disbelief in one word, “Damn.”
The video sees Huff pull off an array of amusing finishes at the rim, each more impressive than the last. Hali, as an All-Star point guard and probably the best passer in the league, seems excited to get back in shape so he can throw Huff lobs in the halfcourt.
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) July 26, 2025
He’s already shown how he can elevate the career of a big man who can catch lobs, with Obi Toppin becoming a new man in Indiana. He will most likely try to do the same with Huff.
The Virginia alum is also a handy shooter from three, having shot nearly 41% last season. This will allow the Pacers to plan a lot more when it comes to their offence, as opposition teams will have no choice but to keep a man on Huff at all times, whether he’s in the paint or out on the perimeter.
