Houston Rockets player AJ Griffin is one step closer to leaving basketball after just two seasons in the NBA.
The Rockets waived the 21-year-old on Friday. According to The Athleticaccelerating his exit from professional basketball.
Griffin was drafted 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2022 and played two seasons before being traded to the Rockets in June of this year.
The son of former Milwaukee Bucks coach Adrian Griffin has yet to play a game for his new team, but is now expected to quit the sport altogether.
In his rookie season with the Hawks, the former first-round pick appeared in 72 games with 12 starts, averaging 19.5 minutes per game.
Houston Rockets player AJ Griffin is one step away from quitting basketball
The forward is the son of former Milwaukee Bucks coach Adrian Griffin (right).
However, his role was reduced by an ankle injury he suffered during his second year in the NBA. He appeared in just 20 games, averaging 8.6 minutes per game last season.
After his production declined, the Hawks ultimately decided to waive him this offseason in late June.
Atlanta traded Griffin to the Rockets for the 44th pick in this year’s draft before trading that pick to Miami to obtain the rights to guard/forward Nikola Djurisic of Serbia.
Griffin appeared for the Rockets during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this summer, but the forward could leave the game entirely before playing a regular-season game for his new team.
The news of his possible departure comes just weeks before the start of training camp, with the 2024-25 season scheduled to begin on October 22.