Houston Rockets forward AJ Griffin is “seriously considering” stepping away from basketball after two NBA seasons at the age of 21, according to Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Griffin, who was selected 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2022 draft out of Duke, did not provide a reason why he’s been contemplating retirement. It’s unclear if this would be permanent or temporary.
The 6-foot-6 Griffin showed promise during his rookie season with the Hawks. In 72 games (12 starts) of the 2022-23 season, he averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 19.5 minutes per contest.
Just in: Houston Rockets F AJ Griffin is seriously considering stepping away from basketball, sources tell me and @KellyIko. Griffin, 21, was the No. 16 pick in the 2022 NBA draft to Atlanta, then traded to Houston this summer. Sides are preparing for his departure from the game. pic.twitter.com/AyNp1rF4MI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 12, 2024
In Atlanta’s 117-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 7, 2022, Griffin recorded a career-high 24 points on 10-of-15 (66.7%) shooting from the floor and 2-of-6 (33.3%) from beyond the arc. The former Duke star made both free throws as well.
The New York native also shot 46.5% from the field, 39% from deep, and 89.4% at the free throw line that season. However, he missed time at the beginning of the 2023-24 season for personal reasons. Atlanta did not give any details.
Atlanta Hawks traded AJ Griffin to Houston Rockets in June
In 20 games off the bench last season, he averaged just 2.4 points and 8.6 minutes per contest while shooting 29% from the floor, 25.6% from 3-point range, and a true shooting percentage of 38.2%.
As part of a three-team trade in June, the Hawks sent him to Houston; Atlanta traded cash to the Miami Heat; the Rockets traded Pelle Larsson to Miami; and the Heat dealt Nikola Djurisic to Atlanta. The Hawks also received a trade exception.
Per Spotrac, AJ Griffin is owed a guaranteed $3.9 million this season. This is part of the four-year, $17.1 million rookie-scale contract he signed with the Hawks in July 2022. If he retires, he will walk away from that. The Rockets have a $5.9 million team option for the 2025-26 season.
Griffin is also the son of former NBA player Adrian Griffin, who coached the Bucks for the first 43 games of last season. Doc Rivers became Milwaukee’s 18th head coach on Jan. 24, 2024.
