Former NC State forward and March Madness sensation DJ Burns rejected NFL speculation and insisted his future is in basketball. He is working to make that happen.
Burns has reportedly lost a significant amount of weight since the Wolfpack’s dream season ended with a Final Four loss to Purdue, in hopes of making his body better suited to today’s NBA.
While the style of play at the college level is different than in the NBA, it was Burns’ great frame that worked in his favor at NC State. He was difficult to stop near the basket, he intimidated defenders with his strength and burned defenses with close-range hook shots.
Despite his success in March Madness, Burns’ outlook in the NBA is mixed at best because that style doesn’t translate well to the league in this era. Could his weight transformation improve his NBA prospects?
Here’s a closer look at Burns’ weight loss and new measurements.
DJ Burns before and after photo
Burns has lost 45 pounds since the end of NC State’s season in early April, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported in a segment for FanDuel TV.
The former Wolfpack big man told Charania that he lost weight by doing early-morning cardio exercises four times a week, and an updated photo of Burns shows his much slimmer figure.
“He told me not to take Ozempic,” Charania said, referring to a popular diabetes drug that many use to lose weight.
DJ Burns says he lost 45 pounds in the last six and a half weeks preparing for the NBA Draft??
First reported by @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/CYN0ayUN01
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 22, 2024
Burns was considerably thinner during much of his time at Winthrop before spending his final two seasons at NC State. While a player gaining weight throughout his college career may not seem like the best strategy, it worked for Burns. He was able to use that extra strength to intimidate defenders in the paint and emerge as one of the most impactful big men in the ACC.
The problem for Burns is that his style of play often doesn’t translate well to the modern NBA, where players are bigger and stronger. Big men are asked to do much more than simply exist in the paint in today’s NBA, and that, coupled with Burns’ age, made his draft stock unpromising even after such an impressive career in March. .
Burns’ hope is that NBA teams take note of his transformation, as his slimmer frame could allow him to be more versatile at the next level.
DJ Burns height and weight
Burns was listed as 6-9, 275 pounds at NC State. If his estimate is correct, Burns now weighs around 230 pounds.
Based on Burns’ most recent image, he certainly appears to be closer to 230 pounds than 275. His frame is noticeably slimmer since he used his size to get to the basket for NC State on the biggest stage less than two years ago. months.
Exercise more, eat less, stay home hahaha https://t.co/UYS9oqHjVT
—DJ Burns (@beastboyburns) May 22, 2024
Burns said before the 2023-24 season that he had a “Zach Randolph body” and his style of play drew praise from NBA legend Charles Barkley, among others. Like Burns, Randolph (who stands 6-9 and 250 pounds at the end of his NBA career) wasn’t the most athletic presence on the court, but he made a consistent impact with his frame.
However, Randolph prototypes are increasingly rare in the NBA. That’s forcing Burns to adapt and do what he can to become more agile in the hopes that an NBA team is willing to give him a chance.
DJ Burns NBA mock draft
Most NBA mock drafts, including SN’s Kyle Irving’s two-round mock draft, project Burns to go undrafted in June.
Despite slim draft hopes and intrigue in the NFL about his potential as an offensive tackle, Burns is sticking to basketball. With the growth of the G League and a host of second-round picks and undrafted players making an impact in the NBA in recent years, there is still hope that Burns can earn NBA minutes.
Many recent draft classes have produced undrafted players who became part of NBA rotations. Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Haywood Highsmith, Drew Eubanks, Jock Landale, Kendrick Nunn, Duop Reath, Jae’Sean Tate and Allonzo Trier were undrafted in 2018 alone, while José Alvarado, Sam Hauser and Austin Reaves lead the crop of undrafted recruited from 2021. .
Even reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid went from undrafted to a key part of a championship contender in just five years.
The dream won’t end for Burns if he isn’t drafted. By losing weight, the former NC State star could become even more developable for any team that takes a chance on him.
