Aj Griffin Jr. has always been on the Houston Rockets’ radar. The son of former NBA player and Houston Rockets member Adrian Griffin Jr., Griffin Jr. was on the Rockets’ draft board well before the 2022 draft. The Rockets were hoping he would still be there when their pick came in at No. 17.
The Rockets were one pick away from their original target, Griffin Jr., who the Atlanta Hawks selected. The team then turned to their other target, Tari Eason. Eason did not disappoint, as he had a great rookie season and was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team.
Griffin also had a promising season as a rookie for the Hawks. Griffin averaged 8.9 points on 39 percent from three-point range. That’s a great three-point shot for any player, but especially for a rookie.
The second season didn’t go as well for Griffin, who had to deal with injuries and a lack of playing time. Most reports seem to indicate that Griffin struggled on defense, and when his shots stopped falling, it magnified his defensive weaknesses. Griffin shot just 26 percent from three-point range and under 30 percent from the field in just 20 games.
Griffin was interviewed after the season as part of the post-season interviews. The 20-year-old talked about improving his defense and how to develop to compete with NBA players.
He also spoke about his absence from the team for personal reasons:
The Rockets entered draft night with a surprising top-three pick and a second-round pick. After the Rockets selected Reed Sheppard, talk turned to who would be available in the second round. With the Rockets already having a set list, some speculated that they could trade that pick for future draft picks.
The Rockets did indeed trade the pick, but not for future draft picks.
ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks traded defender AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the 44th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft. Griffin, 20, was selected in the first round in 2022 by Duke. pic.twitter.com/IhjHKnCxCd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024
Adding another rookie to the team didn’t make much sense, given that the Rockets already have several players under the age of 23 who all need playing time. Second, and probably most importantly, the Rockets believe they’ll get the rookie version of Griffin and believe in his potential.
The Rockets also have confidence in their G League team and their ability to help develop players. Griffin will likely spend the first part of the season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers working on his game.
Griffin is still extremely young, and we’ve seen time and time again young players struggle with one team only to turn around and find success with a new team. If Griffin Jr. can recapture his rookie form, the Rockets will have made one of their best trades in years.
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