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Nobody really batted an eye when the Washington Wizards suddenly waived 21-year-old Ryan Rollins in the middle of the 2023-2024 season. He only played in 10 of the Wizards' first 30 games and averaged four points. However, once details emerged that the reason for his sudden release was because of a shoplifting incident at Target, Rollins' name was in headlines for tabloids across different states.
Ryan Rollins' path to the NBA
Rollins was selected with the 44th pick in the 2022 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He'd be traded to the Golden State Warriors a few minutes later for cash and the 51st pick. He'd then sign a 3-year $4.76 million contract but started his rookie season on the wrong foot (no pun intended) because of a foot injury that kept him sidelined for most of the season.
Once he was healthy, he was traded to the Wizards to make way for the Warriors to acquire Chris Paul. However, instead of focusing on improving his offensive game during his downtime, Rollins was apparently busy practicing how he steals… Literally.
Rollins stole from Target not once, but 7 times
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On January 12, 2024, Rollins was arrested at a Target store for stealing household items. This included body wash, dog toys, and scented candles. However, once the court documents were revealed, turns out it wasn't an isolated case. According to reports, Rollins allegedly stole from the same Target store seven times over a three-month period. Of the seven times he stole, the accumulated valued never went above $1,000. A surprising case as Rollins already had his $1.7 million salary guaranteed for the season, while an additional $600,000 was already guaranteed for the next season.
Rollins was eventually charged with seven counts of petit larceny. A crime that classifies as a Class 1 misdemeanor in the state of Virginia. The issue can be resolved by paying a fine not more than $2,500, and the worst-case scenario is up to a year of jail time.
Rollins has to prove himself all over again
Despite his recent legal troubles, it didn't take long for Rollins to land on an NBA roster. About a month later, Rollins signed to a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks for the rest of the season. He'd appear in only three games and scored three points combined.
At 21 years old, Rollins displayed a lot of potential as a future 3&D wing. While he did manage to land on the Bucks, his biggest problem moving forward will be about his reputation and regaining the trust of most NBA teams. Only time will tell if Rollins can overcome this early setback and carve a new path to NBA success.
