Rockets forward 'seriously considering' stepping away from sport

At just 21-years-old, Rockets forward AJ Griffin "is seriously considering stepping away from basketball," sources tell The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Griffin, the son of former Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, was selected No. 16 overall by the Hawks in the 2022 NBA Draft before being traded to the Rockets this offseason.

During his rookie campaign with the Hawks, Griffin showed a ton of promise as a three-and-D player, averaging 8.9 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 39% from deep. 

However, he missed the early portion of the 2023-24 season due to personal reasons and returned to the bench during the latter half only to barely crack the rotation. He would finish his sophomore season averaging just 2.4 points from 20 appearances. 

When he landed in Houston this summer, several reports suggested that the Rockets viewed Griffin as an intriguing piece alongside their young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr.  

However, Charania reported Thursday that the "sides" involved are "preparing for his departure from the game" with training camp for the 2024-25 season less than three weeks away. 

A former McDonald's All-American, Griffin entered the NBA to a lot of hype after shooting a remarkable 45% from three in his one-and-done season at Duke.