Houston Rockets star AJ Griffin is considering stepping away from the NBA at the age of 21, according to reports.
Griffin was drafted No 16 overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2022 and played two seasons before being traded to the Houston Rockets in June of this year.
Griffin, the son of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, is yet to play a game for his new team, but Shams Charania of The Athletic reports he is now ‘seriously considering’ quitting the sport entirely.
The report adds that both sides are preparing for his departure, suggesting Griffin, who is currently in the third year of his four-year, $17.1 million rookie contract, could be headed towards retirement.
In his rookie season with the Hawks, the former first-round pick appeared in 72 games with 12 starts, averaging 19.5 minutes per game.
Houston Rockets star AJ Griffin is considering stepping away from the NBA at the age of 21
The small forward is the son of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin (right)
However, his role diminished as he struggled with an ankle injury during his second year in the NBA. He appeared in just 20 games, averaging 8.6 minutes per game last season.
After his production decreased, the Hawks ultimately decided to move on from him this offseason in late June.
Atlanta traded Griffin to the Rockets for the No. 44 pick in this year’s draft before trading that pick to Miami to obtain rights to guard/forward Nikola Djurisic of Serbia.
Griffin (center) chats to Jalen Williams after being drafted in the first round back in June 2022
Griffin appeared for the Rockets during the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas this summer but the forward could leave the game all together before suiting up in a regular season game for his new team.
The news of his potential departure comes less than three weeks before the start of training camp with the 2024-25 season slated to begin on October 22.
The Rockets finished the 2023-24 season with a 41-41 record, falling just short of earning a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
His exit would leave the Rockets with less depth at small forward with less competition for Cam Whitmore, Jae’Sean Tate, and Tari Eason in the position.
