Once one of the top prospects in the entire world, AJ Griffin is reportedly considering stepping away from the game of basketball.
Griffin, who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and the top-rated player in the state of New York, was a McDonald’s All-American. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils and was named ACC All-Freshman in 2022.
While he missed part of his one-and-done season due to injuries, he was then selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
After averaging 19.5 minutes across 72 games as a rookie, Griffin did not get as much playing time for the Hawks during his second professional season. It ended with 8.5 minutes per game across just 20 appearances.
Earlier during the offseason, he was traded from the Hawks to the Rockets.
Just in: Houston Rockets F AJ Griffin is seriously considering stepping away from basketball, sources tell me and @KellyIko. Griffin, 21, was the No. 16 pick in the 2022 NBA draft to Atlanta, then traded to Houston this summer. Sides are preparing for his departure from the game. pic.twitter.com/AyNp1rF4MI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 12, 2024
While he played in NBA 2K25 Summer League for Houston and appeared in the starting lineup each game he played, on Thursday The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Griffin is “seriously considering” stepping away from the sport.
The forward has battled various injuries and is the son of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin.
