The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they have signed undrafted rookie, Jay Huff, to their second two-way contract. Huff played four collegiate seasons at Virginia before signing with the Washington Wizards for Summer League.
After an up-and-down showing during the summer, Huff inked an Exhibit-10 contract with the Wizards for training camp and the preseason. He was ultimately waived, setting up the Lakers to add him on a two-way deal.
This essentially works out as another trade between the Lakers and Wizards, as in order to open up a two-way spot for Huff, L.A. had to waive Joel Ayayi. The guard out of Gonzaga was then claimed by the Wizards, so he will now be on their roster as a two-way player while Huff is with the Lakers.
The move comes as a bit of a surprise considering Frank Vogel recently mentioned that ideally, the Lakers would have one big and one small player on two-way deals. After the Lakers recently signed former lottery pick Sekou Doumbouya to a two-way contract, the expectation is they would go with a guard for the second slot.
Jay Huff Stats
Huff is far from that. He is a 7’1″ center that can block shots and stretch the floor a bit. In Huff’s senior season at Virginia, he averaged 13.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks while shooting 38.7% from deep.
The Lakers’ big man rotation is essentially set with DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis. If any of those guys are forced to miss time, though, then it’s possible Huff sees some legitimate minutes this season.
Jay Huff Highlights
Since signing with the Lakers in October 2021, Huff remains on the team as a strong forward and defender. In a recent December game against the Salt Lake City Stars, Huff had 4.0 blocks, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist over a 26-minute stretch on the court. Scoring 12 points for the team, the Lakers ended up victorious over the Stars with a 139-120 victory.
Lakers hoping to keep other Exhibit-10 players
While the Lakers weren’t able to keep Ayayi on their G League Squad, they are hopeful that they will be able to keep their other Exhibit-10 players that were waived, such as Chaundee Brown, Cameron Oliver and Trevelin Queen.
Brown, in particular, made a strong impression on Frank Vogel during training camp. So, it is a bit surprising to see he didn’t receive more consideration for the second two-way spot.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
