Former 1st-Round Pick AJ Griffin Considering Leaving Basketball

Houston Rockets forward AJ Griffin is reportedly contemplating stepping away from basketball, according to sources cited by The Athletic's Shams Charania and Kelly Iko.

The Rockets and Griffin are preparing for the potential departure of the former first-round pick, as noted by Charania and Iko.

Griffin was acquired by the Rockets this summer from the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade.

During the Summer League, Griffin played for the Rockets, averaging 11.6 points, three rebounds, and 1.2 steals over five games.

Griffin began his professional career with the Hawks, where he spent his first two seasons. As a rookie, he averaged 8.9 points per game and shot 39% from three-point range. However, Griffin struggled in his second season, falling out of the rotation and being listed as a DNP-CD for several games.

A four-star recruit out of high school, Griffin was also a McDonald's All-American. He played one season at Duke, where he was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.