The Philadelphia 76ers may look loaded on paper heading into the 2026-2027 NBA season, especially after adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to the starting five. That kind of top-end talent puts the Sixers in the conversation as one of the most intimidating lineups in the league before a game is even played.
But contenders don’t stay comfortable for long. Even the best-built roster can reveal a crack or two once the season gets rolling, and that’s when the trade and buyout market starts to matter. With that in mind, one name to keep in mind from the Indiana Pacers is Jay Huff.
Indiana is not expected to be shopping major pieces anytime soon. After Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire year, the Pacers were projected to be in a gap season, but they expect to be back in the playoff mix in 2026. That makes them a difficult trade partner for a team like Philadelphia, because the Pacers are unlikely to part with meaningful rotation help just to make the Sixers stronger for a postseason push.
A reunion with TJ McConnell would certainly get the fan base buzzing, especially on a roster that already includes Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid. But that idea feels out of reach. If Philadelphia is going to find a fit in Indiana, it likely has to dig much deeper into the roster.
That’s where Huff enters the picture. The 28-year-old center played at Virginia from 2017 to 2020 and went undrafted in 2021 before beginning his NBA path with the Los Angeles Lakers and their G League system. Since then, he’s logged time with the Lakers, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Pacers.
The 2025-2026 season was a breakthrough in terms of availability. Huff appeared in all 82 games for the first time and made 47 starts, averaging 21.0 minutes per night. At 7'1", he brings the kind of size teams are always hunting for, and his production gives him a real case as a backup big.
With Indiana, Huff averaged 9.5 points per game and shot 47.6% from the field. His three-point numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he did hit 31.9% of his 4.5 attempts per game last season. He also showed more range with Memphis, where he shot 40.5% from deep on 3.1 attempts per game.
His G League résumé is also hard to ignore. In 2023, Huff won Defensive Player of the Year, made All-NBA G League First Team, earned a spot on the NBA G League All-Defensive Team, and finished as the G League blocks leader.
For Philadelphia, the appeal is straightforward. Center is the spot that looks least settled on paper.
Joel Embiid is still an MVP-level force, but he hasn’t reached 40 games in a season in three straight years. Behind him, Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti are young options with upside, but also plenty to prove.
Maybe one or both of them settles the issue for the Sixers. Maybe not. If the front office starts looking for a small move to stabilize the depth chart, Huff stands out as the most realistic Pacers name to watch.
In Other News...
Hawks Just Created A New Problem For The Sixers In The East
Atlantas offseason moves have made the East a little more complicated for anyone chasing the top tier, and Philadelphia has to take note. By keeping CJ McCollum and Jock Landale while bringing in Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins, the Hawks have given Quin Snyder a deeper, more versatile group that looks built to matter in the 2026-27 season, not just survive it.
The real intrigue now is how Snyder sorts out a rotation that already has a strong top nine and a few overlapping pieces on the perimeter. The Hawks still have work to do to trim the roster, and the way they handle those decisions could shape whether they simply stay deep or become the kind of team that can make upgrades on the fly during the season. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Still Have One Veteran Guard Option Worth Watching
Aaron Holiday is taking his next step overseas, with the former Rockets guard set to play for Maxima Roma in Italys Basket Serie A for the 2026-27 season. For a Sixers team carrying an open roster spot, that kind of move is still worth tracking, especially with Philadelphias recent history of dipping into the international market when looking for low-cost depth.
Holidays situation is more interesting than a typical overseas signing because there is still a path back to the NBA if the right opportunity comes along. For the Sixers, that makes him a possible reserve guard option to keep on the radar, a familiar kind of swing for a team that has shown before it is willing to look beyond the usual pool when it needs help. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Add A New Voice For Decisions That Could Shape Everything
The 76ers have added another experienced voice to the front office, hiring Tommy Balcetis as head of basketball intelligence, analytics and innovation. Balcetis arrives after 12 seasons with the Nuggets, where he most recently served as assistant general manager, and he now steps into a role that is built around the kinds of details that can quietly shape roster decisions, game planning and day-to-day evaluations.
For Philadelphia, the hire signals an even heavier emphasis on the blend of analytics and film study that has become standard in modern team-building. Balcetis will be responsible for sharing data-driven insights across the organization, giving the Sixers another layer of decision-making support at a time when every edge matters and every move is under a microscope. [Read more 🡒]