"Steal of the draft!": College hoops world reacts to NC State star DJ Burns joining Cavaliers despite going undrafted in 2024 NBA draft
DJ Burns is one of the college names who did not hear their name being called in the 2024 NBA drafts. He became one of the collegiate circuit’s top names and was the reason behind Nikola Jokic’s late arrival for an interview while Burns was leading the North Carolina State to the Final Four. Nevertheless, the window to make an NBA career still exists for the 6-foot-9 big man.
DJ Burns will sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers after going undrafted and represent the franchise in the Summer League.
Burns' strong and heavy build, coupled with his friendly personality, makes him one of the fan favorites. With that, his sudden siding with the Cavs garnered love from all across the league:
"Love it Gonna be rooting for him," a fan wrote.
"Steal of the draft! All the homies love DJ Burns 🐐," another college hoops follower quipped.
"That’s central or cental," a fan sarcastically signified the unexpected signing.
On the other hand, fans of different teams voiced their desire to see Burns donning their franchise's jerseys:
"Cant believe Pelicans didn’t draft Zions son," a Pels fans quipped.
"He should be a Memphis grizzlies @memgrizz #memphis," a fan even tagged the Grizzlies organization.
"Tee Grizzly should’ve been a Laker smh," another fan wrote.
This might be DJ Burns' final shot at an NBA career
Unlike 25+ other undrafted players, Burns has not been handed out a 2-way contract, one that enables players to toggle between the NBA and G-League rosters of a franchise.
With that, DJ Burns carries the load of ending his NBA dreams, at least for some time. Moreover, he has the pressure of putting his best foot forward and hoping that the Cleveland Cavaliers see him as an impactful player in the big league.
Burns powered the NC State Wolfpack to an ACC Tournament and their first-ever Final Four stint since 1983. He averaged 12.9 points last season and has been putting in heavy work to make an NBA entry.
As a result, he has lost a whopping 45 pounds and has been improving his conditioning to retain his speed, strength and athleticism.