Jay Huff

Huff was a four-year varsity basketball player for Voyager Academy in Durham, North Carolina, where he was coached by his father, Mike. On January 21, 2016, as a senior, he became his school's all-time leading scorer. Huff led his team to the Class 1A state title, earning most valuable player honors after recording a triple-double of 14 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks in the final. He finished the season averaging 16.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. A four-star recruit, Huff committed to play college basketball for Virginia. Growing up minutes from the University of North Carolina, Huff was familiar with the region’s major basketball programs, but his thin frame and long-term development profile made him a better fit for Tony Bennett’s system at Virginia. The Cavaliers recruited him early, offering a clear development path in their defense-oriented scheme, and Huff committed to Virginia in May 2015. ==College career==

Huff redshirted his first year at Virginia to improve his strength and conditioning, gaining about before the start of the 2017–18 season. Ahead of the 2018–19 season, Huff underwent surgery for a torn labrum that sidelined him for three to four months. He returned to contribute to Virginia’s national championship run, averaging 4.4 points in 9.3 minutes per game on 60.4 percent shooting. He delivered several high-impact performances, including 17 points and six blocks in a win over Georgia Tech on January 18, 2020 and a near–triple-double of 15 points, 10 blocks and nine rebounds in a victory over Duke, making him the second player in program history with at least 10 blocks in a game. Huff was a member of Virginia’s 2019 championship core alongside future NBA players De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome, with both later acknowledging his impact on that title team. As a junior in 2019–20, Huff set career highs with 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while anchoring one of the nation’s best defenses. In 2020–21, Huff averaged 13.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 58.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three, earning Second-team All-ACC and ACC All-Defensive Team honors. Following the 2019–20 season, Huff entered the 2020 NBA Draft process before withdrawing and returning for his senior year. After the 2020–21 season, he declared for the 2021 NBA Draft. ==Professional career==

Los Angeles / South Bay Lakers (2021–2023) After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Huff joined the Washington Wizards for the 2021 NBA Summer League. On September 21, 2021, he signed with the Wizards, but was waived on October 13. On October 18, 2021, Huff signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. On January 12, 2022, he was waived. On January 16, 2022, Huff was re-acquired by the South Bay Lakers. Huff joined the Los Angeles Lakers' 2022 NBA Summer League roster. In his Summer League debut for the Lakers, Huff scored nine points and seven rebounds in a 100–66 win against the Miami Heat. On July 27, 2022, Huff signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was waived on October 15, 2022. He subsequently re-joined South Bay. Washington Wizards / Capital City Go-Go (2023) On March 2, 2023, Huff signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards. On April 4, he was named NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 4.0 blocks per game. On July 3, 2023, Huff joined the Houston Rockets Summer League team. Denver Nuggets / Grand Rapids Gold (2023–2024) On July 18, 2023, Huff signed a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. Memphis Grizzlies (2024–2025) rookie Jaylen Wells at Memphis Air National Guard Base in 2024 On July 24, 2024, Huff signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. On October 26, he scored a career high eighteen points in a home victory against the Orlando Magic and two days later, he signed a four-year, $10.1 million contract with the Grizzlies. Huff made 64 appearances (two starts) for Memphis during the 2024–25 NBA season, averaging 6.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. Indiana Pacers (2025–present) On July 6, 2025, Huff was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a 2029 second-round pick and a 2031 second-round pick swap. On November 19, 2025, Huff scored 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists against the Charlotte Hornets. On January 16, 2026, Huff scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the New Orleans Pelicans. In the 2025-2026 season, Huff played in all 82 games and had the third highest blocks per game in the league. ==Career statistics==

NBA Regular season Playoffs College ==Personal life==

Both of Huff's parents are former college basketball players. His father, Mike, played for Pacific Lutheran University, and his mother, Kathy, played for West Virginia. Huff is a member of the Chi Alpha Christian fellowship at the University of Virginia and aspires to become a minister when he retires from basketball. ==References==