The Houston Rockets will be without newly-acuired forward AJ Griffin for the upcoming NBA season. The 21-year-old, traded to Houston this offseason, is stepping away from the game of basketball. With that, the Rocket have bought out his contract, freeing up the roster spot.

The former first-round pick was involved in a trade this offseason, which saw the Atlanta Hawks receive a draft pick, sending him to Houston. Griffin might have seen an opportunity to use a change of scenery to bounce back, though his career is going to come to a close after appearing in just two seasons.

As a rookie, Griffin averaged 8.9 points per game, playing an average of 19.5 points — doing so in 72 games and 12 starts. He converted on 39 percent of his 3-pointers, beginning what seemed to be a potential 3-and-D career as a prominent role player. The Duke product saw his role dwindle in year two, with his efficiency and minutes played.

As mentioned, joining the Rockets might have been the fresh start Griffin needed to begin realizing the potential he flashed as a 19-year-old. The rotation is crowded in Houston, though. It would have been a battle to see minutes, and Griffin decided to rather step away from the game altogether, focusing on the next stage of his career and journey in life.

Willingly retiring from professional basketball at a young age isn’t easy, but the Rockets now have a fringe rotation spot available and they can use the next month to find someone to capture that spot on the team.

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