Former Wizards Player Ryan Rollins Waived By Team After Allegedly Shoplifting Candles From Target Seven Times In Two Months

NBA players are waived by their teams during the season, it's common practice, but the alleged circumstances involving Ryan Rollins being waived by the Washington Wizards are unique, to say the least.

On Monday the Wizards officially waived Rollins, a second-round pick out of Toledo in 2022, and it appeared like a standard move given that he had appeared in just 10 games this season. The Wizards are 6-31 on the year and rotational players on the roster are essentially a revolving door.

Based on court documents obtained by Josh Robbins of The Athletic, however, Rollins being waived in Washington appears to have nothing to do with his ability on the court.

Rollins has been accused of shoplifting from a Virginia Target, and not just once or twice, but seven times in two months.

Ryan Rollins was waived by the Wizards after allegedly shoplifting from a Target on seven different occassions. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

What was Rollins allegedly stealing from Target? Small household items including body wash and candles. Allegedly stealing candles when earning over $1.7 million this season is certainly a decision.

Court documents reveal that Rollins was charged with seven counts of petit larceny with the items allegedly stolen in each incident being valued at less than $1,000. Petit larceny of goods worth less than $1,000 from a business is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor in the state of Virginia. Rollins is scheduled to appear in court in February and has yet to enter a plea.

While Wizards president Michael Winger did not tie Rollins being waived to his alleged shoplifting incidents, he did acknowledge the charges against the former player.

“We just recently learned of the charges against Ryan,” Winger said. “We cannot comment on that matter, or the basis for our roster decisions.”

Rollins was originally drafted by the Golden State Warriors and was part of the trade package that sent Chris Paul to Golden State prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign.