AJ GriffinDuke’s 16th overall pick in 2022 is ‘seriously considering’ walking away from basketball at age 21.
The surprising news came from Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic. No reason was given for his move.
It is unclear whether this would be permanent or temporary, but it appears that it would be for an extended period.
Griffin showed some promise in his rookie season in Atlanta, averaging 8.9 points per game and shooting 39 percent from three-point range. He missed a significant chunk of time early last season for personal reasons (the team didn’t provide details) and even when he returned, he failed to crack the rotation, playing in just 20 games, averaging 2.4 points per game and shooting 29 percent from three-point range. He also struggled on defense.
This summer, he was traded to Houston in a three-team deal in which Atlanta acquired the No. 43 pick (which it used on Nikola Djurisic). Rockets management is reportedly intrigued by Griffin and believes he has potential with them, though Houston is a team rich with young talent, so fitting into the rotation would not be easy. Griffin played for the Rockets during the Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 11.6 points and 3 rebounds per game while shooting 28 percent from three-point range over five games — not great numbers, especially for a veteran player.
Griffin, the son of former NBA player Adrian Griffin — the coach for the first 43 games of last season in Milwaukee — is guaranteed $3.9 million this season, and if he retires, he will walk away without it. The Rockets have a $5.9 million team option for the 2025-26 season.
Whatever the reason for Griffin potentially walking away, hopefully he gets the help he needs and what he’s looking for.
