The Rockets are moving forward without Griffin.
As Nick so kindly reported to us earlier this week, Rockets forward A.J. Griffin was considering stepping away from basketball, and it appears that plan is moving forward, as it was announced yesterday that the Houston Rockets bought out his contract.
Griffin came to the Rockets via trade this summer but was originally drafted 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2022. He averaged 8.9 points per game and shot 39 percent from deep over 72 games his rookie year and seemed like a possible sophomore breakout candidate, but that never arrived, as he played in just 20 games last season before the trade to Houston.
The 6’6” forward was a candidate for some playing time off the bench this year for the Rockets, but it appears his love of basketball has dimished.
While it’s not good news to lose a player, particularly one you’ve given up assets for, if his heart’s not in it, it’s for the best. It will also ease a little bit of the back-end roster crunch for Houston, who have seven legitimate young players looking for time in addition to their veterans.
That also means the Rockets have an open roster spot. I haven’t seen anything yet on what GM Rafael Stone plans to do with it, but it’s well-know that he enjoys roster flexibility, so it’s something to keep an eye on as the team decides on a way forward this season to maximize the future,