Houston Rockets Trade Second Round Pick to Hawks For AJ Griffin

The Houston Rockets traded out of the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft and landed forward AJ Griffin from the Hawks.

Mar 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward AJ Griffin (14) shoots over Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets have traded the No. 44 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft to the Atlanta Hawks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report. In exchange, the Rockets received forward AJ Griffin. The former Duke prospect appeared in 20 games for the Hawks last season and was a first-round pick (No. 16 overall) in 2022.

Before knee injuries interfered with his development, Griffin showcased his talents as a rookie during the 2022-23 season.

In 72 games played with a dozen starts, Griffin averaged 8.9 points on .465/.390/.894 shooting splits. He scored a career-best 24 points in Atlanta's 19-point victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in November 2022. Griffin is the son of former NBA player and coach Adrian Griffin, who played with the Rockets during the 2003-24 season.

General manager Rafael Stone believes the Rockets exited the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft with the "best player." Houston drafted Reed Sheppard with the No. 3 overall pick; a prospect Stone has been fond of since his high school days at North Laurel High School.

Unless Houston trades back into the second round, the Rockets have concluded the 2024 NBA Draft. Stone said Wednesday night that he did not feel there was a prospect in the second round who could add value to Houston's roster.

"At this stage, we are not expecting that we will bring in someone to fill a glaring need," Stone said. "We really like our team. We like all of our returning players. We feel we do not have any glaring needs."

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