Houston Rockets forward AJ Griffin is giving serious consideration to stepping away from the game of basketball altogether. According to Shams Charania and Kelly Iko, the former 16th overall pick is mulling the decision to move on from the game and focus on his life outside of the NBA. Griffin was traded to the Rockets this offseason from the Atlanta Hawks and the team is already preparing for Griffin to step away. The 21-year-old spent two seasons with the Hawks and averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game while shooting .447/.372/.898. Nothing is set in stone at this time, so Griffin may still return or take a short leave. Either way, he's made it known that his mental health and life come first.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Atlanta Hawks traded forward AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the 44th pick of the NBA draft on Thursday. Griffin, a 2022 first-round pick out of Duke, had a limited role during his second year in Atlanta, averaging 2.4 points in 8.6 minutes across 20 outings coming off the bench. However, the 20-year-old spent the majority of the year in the G League or sidelined with an injured ankle. As a Rocket, Griffin will not make an impact in fantasy as he will have to battle for playing time.
Atlanta Hawks small forward AJ Griffin finds himself among the starting five for Friday's contest against the Lakers, marking his second consecutive start in place of De'Andre Hunter (ankle). Griffin's minutes did not drastically alter Wednesday, although he scuffled from the field to the tune of a 2-for-10 shooting performance; his four points marked his lowest output since Nov. 28. Working in Griffin's favor is that L.A. is yielding the fourth-most PPG this season (117.6) as the contest's projected total is the highest on the nine-game slate. The rookie has averaged 10.5 points in just 21.7 minutes during his rookie year, an indication of the scoring level that could come as he grows comfortable in the pro game.
A.J. Griffin Continuing To Deal With Foot Discomfort
Atlanta Hawks rookie forward A.J. Griffin (foot) sat out once again for the team's Summer League game against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. He is dealing with right foot discomfort and has yet to play a game in Las Vegas. It seems likely, now that the tournament is winding down, that Griffin won't make it onto the court at all in Vegas. The 18-year-old was selected 16th overall this year after playing one season at Duke. The Hawks are loaded on the wing right now so Griffin is unlikely to see much playing time as a rookie, but he offers a lot of three-point shooting upside once he gets his opportunities.
AJ Griffin
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Rockets
