Just as it seemed the Grizzlies were done making off-season moves earlier this month, shocking news dropped that Jay Huff will be wearing a new set of threads next year - and they won’t say Memphis. ESPN’s Shams Charania announced that Huff was traded to the Indiana Pacers for one second-round pick and one second-round pick swap on July 5th, but the Grizzlies signed free agent Jock Landale on the same day to fill the backup big man void.
As is the case with most trades, there were a lot of mixed feelings from the fanbase when this news first dropped. What was Huff’s role in Memphis? Answering this question helped get to the root of why many fans were not happy about the trade. First off, Huff was a valuable player in the bench rotation, especially when Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey needed time to rest.
At the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Huff played an increased number of minutes because GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. were not fully recovered from their past injuries. Huff got a chance to show off his 3-point shooting abilities, while also stunning the crowd with his reverse dunking skills. When Jackson and Williams Jr. were added back into the Grizzlies’ standard rotation again, Huff spent a lot more time on the bench.
In the second half of the season, he often didn’t even suit up to play. This had a lot of fans scratching their heads because the Jay Huff they knew and loved from the beginning of the season was seemingly not getting the minutes he deserved. So why exactly was Huff sitting out, especially since Jackson and Williams Jr. were not yet back to their pre-injury levels of play?
The other side of the argument
Well, there is always a reason why trades happen. It’s obvious that defense is just as important as offense (and, arguably, sometimes even more important). While Huff had his shooting dialed in, he was not always the most reliable defensively. Even though Jaren Jackson Jr., Jaylen Wells, and Scotty Pippen Jr. provided the team a lot defensively throughout the season, Memphis needed additional players to really step up their defensive game coming off the bench.
The Pacers likely were interested in Huff because of his reliable three-point shot off the bench, since they already have a lot of key defensive pieces on the roster. Memphis, on the other hand, had other intentions. Jock Landale is the player that Memphis had in mind. Landale previously played for the Houston Rockets, where his ability to set screens caught the attention of the Grizzlies’ front office.
After the firing of former Head Coach Taylor Jenkins this past season, Memphis hired Tuomas Iisalo, who is no stranger to a screen-heavy offensive game plan. Landale seemingly fits very nicely into this Iisalo-led offense, so it is not a surprise that the Grizzlies had their eyes on him once he became a free agent.