NBA Rumors: AJ Griffin and the Rockets agree to contract settlement amid retirement rumors | News, results, highlights, stats and rumors

The Houston Rockets and striker AJ Griffin have agreed to a buyout, according to The Houston Chronicle Jonathan Figgen.

Griffin, who was selected 16th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, was set to enter the third year of his four-year, $17.1 million contract, which Feigen said will include a severance package of $250,000.

The Rockets are waiving Griffin as the young player questions his future in the NBA. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Griffin is “seriously considering retiring from basketball.”

There were high expectations for Griffin when he entered the NBA after the Atlanta Hawks selected him in the first round.

According to 247Sports, Griffin was already a 5-star prospect coming out of high school. In his only season with the Blue Devils, he averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds for Duke's talented team, was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and showed flashes of NBA talent.

Griffin had a promising rookie year, averaging 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and an assist per game while playing 19.5 minutes per game for the Hawks. He shot 46.5 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc in his rookie season.

He played a much smaller role for the Hawks as a sophomore, appearing in just 20 games and averaging 2.4 points and 0.9 rebounds in his limited appearances. He also spent a brief stint in the G League with the College Park Skyhawks, posting 14.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in six games.

The Hawks traded Griffin to Houston in a three-way trade that also involved the Miami Heat after selecting Zaccharie Risacher with the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. While the Rockets were hoping to add the 21-year-old to a young core that is on the verge of making the playoffs, they won't get the chance to do so as it appears he is leaning toward retiring from basketball, either temporarily or permanently.