Team: Indiana Pacers · C · Age 28 · Base role: stretch/rim-protecting backup five; 14 healthy-night minutes
Projection card
| GP | MPG | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 14.0 | 0.9 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.2 | .480 | .820 | 0.5 |
Nine-category: top 110-165 per game on low volume, because threes plus blocks are the scarce pair and he supplies both. Points: 200+. Dynasty: top 150-220 as a role-dependent specialist.
Why the line looks like this
Huff played all 82 games, started 47 and averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 21 minutes; his 153 total blocks ranked second in the NBA. Zubac takes the starter workload, but the July 8 Micah Potter waiver removed the third center without a replacement signing, leaving Huff the only true backup five behind him — Toppin at 6'9" and the 33-year-old Nance are the alternatives. Published rotation projections list Huff as a core bench contributor near 17-18 minutes; this card sits slightly below that because Toppin retains some small-ball five work. The line scales Huff's observed rates rather than pretending a new skill level. Pacers player review · Pacers projected rotation
Correction 2026-07-18: base minutes raised from 8 to 14, and the nine-category band from 150-225 to 110-165. The prior eight-minute call put the NBA's second-ranked shot-blocker behind a 6'9" forward in the center pecking order, which no published projection supports and which the Potter waiver made harder still. Zubac is also projected for only 66 games, so roughly 16 nights have no starting center at all. Hoops Rumors on the Potter waiver
Hashtag's crowd ranked him 225th and still listed MEM, evidence that his current market page is stale and low-confidence. Hashtag crowd
Redraft, dynasty, and scenarios
- Redraft: a late-round blocks-and-threes target in 12-team category leagues rather than a pure waiver watch; a priority add if he logs 18+ minutes twice.
- Dynasty: cheap hold in center-premium/deep category leagues; ordinary points-league asset.
- Floor: Carlisle goes small behind Zubac and Toppin absorbs the backup five, pushing Huff back toward 10 minutes.
- Ceiling: 20 minutes, 9 points, two threes and 1.8 blocks during a Zubac absence; top-80 category specialist.
Confidence
| Roster | Minutes | Rates | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | Medium | High | High |
Career record
Pre-NBA: Virginia, redshirt 2016-17 then four seasons; rotation piece on the 2019 NCAA title team (4.4 PPG on .604 FG, including a 15-point, 10-block game against Duke); senior year 2020-21: 13.0 PTS / 7.1 REB / 2.6 BLK on .585 FG and .387 from three, second-team All-ACC and ACC All-Defensive. Draft: undrafted (2021); developed via two-way and G League stints (South Bay, Capital City).
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 24 | LAL | 4 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 2022-23 | 25 | WSH | 7 | 13.6 | 7.3 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | .600 | .938 | 0.7 |
| 2023-24 | 26 | DEN | 20 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | .600 | 1.000 | 0.1 |
| 2024-25 | 27 | MEM | 64 | 11.7 | 6.9 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.3 | .515 | .786 | 0.5 |
| 2025-26 | 28 | IND | 82 | 21.0 | 9.5 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .476 | .828 | 0.9 |
| Career | — | — | 177 | 14.9 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | .492 | .827 | 0.7 |
Durability: 82 of 82 in 2025-26 and 64 games the season before — no NBA injury history of note. The tiny early-career GP totals (4, 7, 20) were roster status, not health.
Trajectory: The record is a classic late-bloomer specialist arc: four fringe seasons, then Memphis proved the threes-plus-blocks pairing at scale (1.3 3PM, 0.9 BLK in under 12 minutes), and 2025-26 in Indiana confirmed it holds at 21 minutes and 47 starts with 1.9 blocks per game. Age 28 with only 177 career games means unusually low mileage. In 2026-27 he competes for the backup-five role behind Zubac with no true center behind him, and he is already fantasy-relevant in category formats at 14-plus minutes; any Zubac absence that pushes him back toward 20 minutes makes him a top-100 category specialist.
Career sources: ESPN career stats, Wikipedia, Basketball-Reference.
Open questions
- Does Carlisle preserve a conventional two-center rotation or prefer Toppin at five?
- Can Huff defend well enough outside the paint to stay on the floor next to Haliburton?