The Indiana Pacers face a significant transition heading into the 2025-26 Eastern Conference season without two pivotal starters: point guard Tyrese Haliburton, sidelined for the year due to an Achilles tendon injury, and center Myles Turner, who recently moved to the Milwaukee Bucks. The team is actively seeking the right candidate to fill Turner’s starting center role amid a competitive internal lineup.
Head coach Rick Carlisle discussed the challenges and prospects for replacing Myles Turner Pacers center during an appearance on 107.5 The Fan Indiana’s The Fan Morning Show, revealing his intentions for the upcoming season’s frontcourt strategy. Despite Turner’s departure, Carlisle remains optimistic, highlighting the addition of Jay Huff through recent trades and the competition among several big men within the roster.
Evaluating the Candidates for Indiana’s Center Role
With Myles Turner’s exit, the Pacers have yet to finalize who will claim the full-time starting center spot. Returning players Isaiah Jackson, James Wiseman, and newcomer Tony Bradley, invited to training camp, are all vying for position alongside newly acquired Jay Huff. While turning to less experienced players, the team hopes to blend skillsets and versatility to address the center role effectively.
Carlisle acknowledged Jay Huff’s different profile compared to Turner but emphasized Huff’s strengths.
“He’s moved on, it’s a division rival, there’s always going to be plenty to talk about there,”
Carlisle remarked.
“But Kevin [Pritchard] and Chad [Buchanan] were able to acquire Jay Huff, who’s certainly not the experience level Myles Turner, not the exact kind of player, but he can make 3’s, he can protect the rim, and he can do some other things that are strengths of his.”
—Rick Carlisle, Head Coach
Huff, a 7-foot-1 center from Virginia, experienced a breakout as Zach Edey’s backup on the Memphis Grizzlies. In his 64 games with the Grizzlies, starting twice, Huff averaged 6.9 points on strong shooting efficiency, along with 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game, demonstrating potential as a rim protector and floor spacer.
Carlisle’s Flexible Approach to the Center Position
Rather than committing to a single starter, Carlisle signaled a more adaptable plan drawing on his coaching history.
“We don’t know exactly who’s going to start at five, but I’ve had seasons where I’ve had three centers and pretty much consistently played three centers every game,”
he explained.
“I think it was 2013-14 with the Dallas Mavericks, I had Sam Dalembert as our starter, DeJuan Blair and Brendan Wright playing backup.”
—Rick Carlisle, Head Coach
That Dallas Mavericks squad finished 49-33, pushing the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs to seven games in the first playoff round despite a relatively unremarkable supporting cast around Dirk Nowitzki. Carlisle noted that this experience could inspire a similarly dynamic rotation in Indiana.
He continued,
“There were way more games than there weren’t where all three of those guys played. So maybe the center position’s more of a Swiss army knife-type thing. We’ll have to see. But we have Huff, we have Isaiah Jackson Jackson, Wiseman, Tony Bradley’s gonna be in camp. So there’s four guys that are gonna be slugging it out for the presumably three center spots.”
—Rick Carlisle, Head Coach
This approach suggests a lineup where the center role is fluid, with multiple players used situationally to maximize various on-court advantages, rather than relying on a single traditional center. The competition could help uncover underrated skills and adaptability from the Pacers’ big men.
Implications and Future Outlook for Indiana
Carlisle’s recent contract extension with the Pacers signals confidence in his vision and the patience of the front office to nurture this evolving roster. The team’s focus on depth at center illustrates a broader strategy to remain competitive despite the absence of established starters like Turner and Haliburton.
By embracing a multi-center rotation and integrating the versatile skill set of players like Huff, the Pacers hope to craft a resilient defense and broaden their offensive options. How these players develop through training camp and early-season minutes will likely determine the stability of Indiana’s frontcourt.
With the Eastern Conference defending champion status on the line, the Pacers’ ability to adapt and experiment with their center position could be a decisive factor this coming season. Fans and analysts alike will be watching how the team’s “Swiss army knife” approach unfolds under Rick Carlisle’s steady guidance.