Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Makes Expectations Clear for Jay Huff

Tyrese Haliburton spent part of his availability after FanJam on Sunday on Jay Huff, the Indiana Pacers 7-foot-1 backup center.

Huff has worn a headband through the first week of training camp. Circle City Spin listed it among the changes from last season on the second day of practice.

"Don't care," Haliburton said. "I want three-point-making Huff, dunking Huff, and rebounding Huff. That's what I want. If he wants to wear a headband or not, I don't care."

The two have never played a regular-season game together. Indiana acquired Huff from the Memphis Grizzlies in July 2025, after Haliburton tore his right Achilles, for a 2029 second-round pick via Portland and a 2031 second-round swap. ESPN's Shams Charania reported the trade, and Forbes' Tony East reported the pick details.

Indiana was his fifth team in five seasons, after the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets, and Memphis.

Huff played all 82 games last season and started 47. He averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 21.0 minutes.

From the 3-point line, he made 119 shots on 31.9% shooting. The year before in Memphis, he shot 40.5% from deep across 64 games.

He scored a career-high 29 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. He turned 28 on Aug. 25.

Huff played enough minutes last season to fully guarantee his $2,667,944 salary for 2026-27, Hoops Rumors reported. The Pacers hold a $3,005,085 team option on him for 2027-28.

Ivica Zubac, acquired at the Feb. 5 trade deadline, is the starter. When Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan ran through the center depth chart last month, he said Zubac will get major minutes and that Huff is there behind him.

On the first day of camp, Huff was in a blue pinnie with T.J. McConnell, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Obi Toppin when media entered the gym, according to Circle City Spin. Jarace Walker has joined that group in practice clips since.

The second group has been jelling well in camp, in Huff's view.

"We play fast. That's something the Pacers pride themselves on," Huff said Friday, according to Pacers On SI. "For us to come in and continue that speed that the first unit would be playing with, it's really, really good."

Oubre has thrown him lobs in camp. Huff also likes Oubre's finishing at the rim, his 3-point shooting, and his versatility, per Pacers On SI.

This summer, Huff told Forbes that Haliburton makes everybody around him better.

Huff played at Virginia, the same school as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Both of his parents played college basketball, his mother at West Virginia and his father at Pacific Lutheran.

Huff and the Pacers play their first exhibition Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Ames, Iowa. The second comes Saturday, Oct. 10, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Atlanta Hawks.