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Former Lakers Center Signs Deal With Western Conference Rival

A former Lakers center has signed with a Western Conference rival.

Matt Levine

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Lakers have seen plenty of talent come through the organization over the years. They haven't been able to keep it all and sometimes have missed out on keeping some strong guys.

The organization has done well in terms of drafting and development in recent years but sometimes, players become casualties when it comes to roster moves. One of the more recent ones that had promise was former center Jay Huff.

Huff went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft and eventually signed with the Lakers on a two-way contract. He showed some promise during Summer League but was eventually let go due to the team needing the space for other intriguing players.

He signed a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards and ended up playing in the G-League with them. Huff was named the Defensive Player of the Year after averaging four blocks per game however, it wasn't enough for the Wizards to keep him around.

Washington let him go and he landed with the Denver Nuggets for a brief time. He finally signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on a two-way deal and has seemed to find a home.

He now has had his two-way contract converted to a full NBA contract with Memphis. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news on social media.

Huff has worked his way to this and the Grizzlies are high on his overall upside. The former Lakers product has hardly played in the NBA but did look decent in his time with the Wizards.

He averaged 7.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for Washington over seven games played during the 2022-23 season. Huff then played in 20 games with the Nuggets last season but only averaged 1.2 points per game.

In Memphis, he will compete for minutes alongside a talented frontcourt. Through three games with the Grizzlies this season, Huff seems to be heading toward a potential breakout year.

He is averaging 13.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Huff is also shooting 57.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line as well.

The Grizzles view him as a nice compliment to Jaren Jackson Jr. and if he can keep up his strong play, it would go a long way for their chances this season. He has earned the respect and now is on a full-time NBA deal.

The former Virginia Cavalier has battled through adversity and now has his chance to show what he can do at the NBA level.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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