Shocking announcement about young Rockets player leaves us speechless

Every NBA career is different. They each have their own trajectory. The Houston Rockets have seen players come and go in various ways.

Still, nobody expects a third-year pro to retire. At that stage in a player's career, we expect them to begin reaching their apex. Even if they suffered the sophomore slump, you expect a player to be ready for their third year.

The Rockets' AJ Griffin may be the exception. Prominent NBA insider Shams Charania is reporting that Griffin is seriously considering retirement.

Excuse us?

Rockets may not see Griffin this year

We have no idea what to make of this.

We shouldn't speculate, but some off-court issues must be plaguing Griffin. Who knows? As a second-generation NBA player, it's possible that he doesn't love the game.

Perhaps he felt obliged to follow this path. Look at us - we're speculating. No matter what the reason, it seems Griffin could be stepping away from basketball.

Will the Rockets miss him?

Griffin has had a rocky NBA career

That depends on which Griffin the Rockets were going to get.

The 16th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Griffin had a strong rookie campaign. He averaged 8.9 points while shooting 39.0% from long-range and played solid defense for the Hawks.

Last year, his production suffered. Griffin managed just 2.4 points per game while shooting a measly 25.6% from distance. There's no overstating how substantial his decline was.

That doesn't feel like a reason to retire. The sophomore slump is a known variable. In ordinary circumstances, a player would be looking to bounce back in year three.

That said, Griffin didn't look ready to bounce back in this year's Summer League. His play was uninspired. If that was the player that the Rockets would have received in 2024-25, he wouldn't have seen the floor much in the first place.

Should they regret trading for him?

Rockets paid a minimal cost for Griffin

If you'll pardon the colloquialism:

Meh.

The Rockets traded the 44th pick in this year's draft for Griffin. If you hadn't noticed, the 44th overall pick doesn't tend to get on the floor in the first place. This was not a premium asset.

So, we just hope Griffin is OK. Retiring from the NBA at 21 is not a great sign. Hopefully, he's doing what's best for him, but as far as the Rockets are concerned, this is a somewhat inconsequential development:

Even if it is shocking.