NBA guard making $1.7M guaranteed this season accused of stealing cheap products from Target — 7 different times
A young NBA guard who will earn nearly $2 million this season has been accused of shoplifting basic personal items from Target on multiple occasions.
Ryan Rollins has had a rough week. On Monday, the Washington Wizards elected to waive him, a move that Sports Illustrated Wizards beat writer Gage Sheets initially described as “puzzling” since the team had just acquired Rollins from the Golden State Warriors last July, and at just 21 years old, he seemed to offer them a lot of value for his $1.7 million guaranteed salary.
By Wednesday, Sheets was likely no longer confused by the Wizards’ decision. That day, documents were filed in Alexandria General District Court in Virginia alleging that Rollins had shoplifted items from Target seven different times between September 9 and November 9 of last year — while he was still on the Wizards’ roster.
According to reports, Rollins took everyday household items, such as groceries, body wash, and candles. All of the allegedly stolen items were worth less than $1,000.
Because of the low value of the items, Rollins has been charged with seven counts of petit larceny, a Class 1 misdemeanor. In Virginia, such misdemeanors carry a maximum sentence of 12 months behind bars and a maximum fine of $2,500.
Court documents listed Nathan Muyskens as Rollins’ defense attorney, but Rollins has reportedly not yet entered a plea. He is scheduled to appear in court again on February 7.
“We just recently learned of the charges against Ryan,” said a statement from President Michael Winger of Monumental Basketball, which owns several pro basketball teams in our nation’s capital, including the Wizards. “We cannot comment on that matter, or the basis for our roster decisions.
“We do take our role very seriously as … representatives of our fans and a team our community can be proud of,” the statement continued. “These are expectations, not aspirations. We’re eager to move forward with our team as constituted and pursue excellence on and off the court.”
In his short stint with the Wizards, Rollins appeared in 10 games and averaged 4.1 points. He played an additional 22 games with the Warriors, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft. Originally from Detroit, Rollins played college ball at the University of Toledo.
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