AJ Griffin, Duke’s 2022 No. 16 pick, is “seriously considering” retiring from basketball at age 21.
This surprising news came from Shams Charania and Kelly Iko of The Athletic. No reason was given as to why he is considering the move.
It is unclear if this will be permanent or temporary, but it seems that it will be for a longer period of time.
Griffin showed promise in his rookie season in Atlanta, averaging 8.9 points per game and making 39% of his threes. For personal reasons – the team did not disclose details – he missed a significant amount of time at the start of last season, and even after his return he failed to make the rotation. He played in just 20 games, averaging 2.4 points per game and making 29% of his threes. He also struggled defensively.
This summer, he was traded to Houston as part of a three-way deal in which Atlanta got the No. 43 pick (which it used on Nikola Djurisic). The Rockets’ front office is reportedly intrigued by Griffin and believes he has potential with them, although Houston is a team with a lot of young talent so getting into the rotation wouldn’t be easy. Griffin played for the Rockets in Summer League in Las Vegas and averaged 11.6 points and 3 rebounds per game, hitting 28% of his threes in five games – not stellar 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 will forego that if he retires. The Rockets have a team option for $5.9 million for the 2025-26 season.
Whatever Griffin’s reason for possibly withdrawing, let’s hope he gets the help he needs and is looking for.
