According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, AJ Griffin, who was selected 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2022 NBA Draft, is reportedly considering leaving the sport of basketball. Griffin, who was recently traded to the Houston Rockets during the offseason, may be preparing to exit the game, with both Griffin and the Rockets reportedly preparing for this potential departure. In the trade, the Hawks acquired the 43rd pick, Nikola Durisic, in exchange for Griffin.
Griffin’s NBA Journey and Performance
Griffin, the son of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, was a standout high school player and was ranked 12th in his class by 247Sports. He played one season at Duke University, where he averaged 10.4 points per game and helped lead the team to the Final Four, though they ultimately lost to the University of North Carolina. Following his college career, Griffin entered the NBA Draft and was selected by the Hawks.
In his rookie season with the Hawks, Griffin showed promise, averaging 8.9 points per game and starting 12 times.
He had two games where he scored a career-high 24 points and had six games where he scored 17 points or more, all between November and December 2022. However, his performance began to decline after that period, and he appeared in only 20 games in his second season. With the Rockets, Griffin faces a tough challenge to earn playing time in a very young roster.
Uncertainty Surrounding Griffin’s Future
It remains unclear how long Griffin plans to stay away from the sport. While there have been instances of young players in the NBA taking time off for non-injury-related reasons and eventually returning, there have been no reports confirming whether this situation is viewed as a temporary absence or a potential permanent retirement. For now, Griffin appears to be stepping away from the game for the foreseeable future.
