With a 6-31 record near the midway point of the NBA season, the Washington Wizards are looking to build for the future. So it came as a surprise when the team unexpectedly cut promising 21-year-old guard Ryan Rollins on Monday. Now we may know why.
As first reported by the Athletic, Rollins is facing seven charges in Alexandria General District Court of petit larceny from a local Target in a series of incidents that allegedly occurred from September to November 2023, while he was a member of the team. The items he is accused of shoplifting range from body wash to candles to clementines and a dog toy, according to court documents obtained by Washingtonian. Rollins’ attorney, Nathan Muyskens, declined to comment when reached by Washingtonian.
Rollins, whom the Wizards acquired from the Golden State Warriors prior to the 2023-24 season in a trade package that included future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, was the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. His contract, fully guaranteed, is for just over $1.7 million this season.
“We just recently learned of the charges against Ryan,” Wizards team president Michael Winger told the Athletic. “We cannot comment on that matter, or the basis for our roster decisions. We do take our role very seriously as citizens of the DMV, representatives of our fans and a team our community can be proud of.”
Rollins was arrested in November for the charges, according to court documents obtained by Washingtonian. Because less than $1,000 worth of goods was stolen in each alleged incident, Rollins is facing seven misdemeanor charges. A hearing is scheduled for early February, according to the Alexandria General District Court website.
One other interesting wrinkle: Alexandria’s Target is located in the Potomac Yards shopping center—right across the street from where Wizards owner Ted Leonsis wants to relocate the team.
