The Painfully Obvious Choice: The Pacers’ Center Solution After Turner’s Departure

 

The Indiana Pacers, a team on the precipice of a championship just a few months ago, now find themselves at a pivotal crossroads. After a stunning NBA Finals run that ended in a heartbreaking Game 7 loss and a season-ending injury to franchise centerpiece Tyrese Haliburton, the team also saw its long-time starting center, Myles Turner, walk in free agency. Turner’s departure to the rival Milwaukee Bucks has left a massive hole in the Pacers’ frontcourt, but as the dust settles, the solution is becoming painfully obvious: the team must commit to Jay Huff as its starting center.

On the surface, the decision isn’t as clear-cut. The Pacers have a few options on the roster. They re-signed Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, two young bigs with a ton of potential but also a history of inconsistency and injuries. Both players have shown flashes of brilliance, but neither has proven that they can be the kind of stable, two-way presence that a starting center needs to be on a title-contending team.

This is where Jay Huff comes in. While he may not be a household name, Huff is the perfect fit for a Pacers team that is trying to remain competitive while navigating a season without its superstar point guard. The Pacers acquired Huff from the Memphis Grizzlies shortly after losing Turner, a move that was met with little fanfare but could prove to be one of the most important acquisitions of the offseason.

Huff’s game is a near-perfect mirror of what made Myles Turner so valuable to the Pacers. At 7-foot-1, he has the size to protect the rim and be a legitimate presence in the paint. He is also a more than capable three-point shooter, a crucial skill for a big man in a modern NBA offense. This “stretch-five” ability is a cornerstone of the Pacers’ fast-paced, improvisational offense, and it’s a role that neither Isaiah Jackson nor James Wiseman has proven they can consistently fill.

In a recent appearance on The Athletic NBA Daily podcast, Caitlin Cooper, an NBA analyst with deep ties to the Pacers, said that she expects Huff to be the team’s starter at the beginning of the season. Her reasoning is sound: Huff’s skillset is so similar to Turner’s that it will allow the team to maintain some continuity in its offensive and defensive schemes. This is a huge advantage for a team that is already dealing with the monumental task of replacing Tyrese Haliburton’s production.

The decision to start Huff is also a financially savvy one for a team that is trying to avoid the luxury tax. Huff is on an incredibly team-friendly contract, a four-year, $10.1 million deal that is a bargain for a player with his unique skillset. This kind of value is incredibly appealing for a team that has a number of other large contracts on the books.

While Huff’s path to the starting lineup may seem straightforward, it’s not without its risks. The Pacers are his fifth team in as many seasons, and he has logged double-digit minutes in just 40 career games. He is still a relatively unproven commodity in an expanded role. However, the potential upside is immense. He has already shown flashes of brilliance in limited minutes, and with a consistent role and the full trust of the coaching staff, he could be in line for a breakout season.

The Pacers’ front office, led by Kevin Pritchard, has a clear choice to make. They can either try to run a center-by-committee approach, a strategy that often leads to inconsistency and frustration, or they can commit to a player who perfectly fits their system, provides incredible value, and has the potential to grow into a long-term solution. While some fans might be excited about the potential of Jackson or Wiseman, the obvious choice is to start Jay Huff. His presence on the court will allow the team to maintain its identity, and it will give them the best chance to remain competitive in a season that is already full of challenges.