Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
What happened to DJ Burns?
Image credit: ClutchPoints

DJ Burns took the world by storm when he led the NC State Wolfpack to its first Final Four appearance in 41 years. While his efforts failed to land him a spot on an NBA roster, his efforts did not go in vain.

Expectations were high for DJ Burns entering college

Standing 6-foot-9 and weighing 280 pounds, to say Burns dominated the rest of the competition in high school is an understatement. Coming from South Carolina, Burns was ranked the third-best player in his area. The only players ranked above him were Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.

Colleges were eager to recruit Burns to their program, but it came with a bit of a catch. Eventually, Burns committed to Tennessee but was forced to redshirt his first season to try and ditch the extra weight. Growing impatient, Burns transferred to Winthrop a year later and received a waiver for immediate eligibility.

In his first season, Burns averaged 11.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, which was good enough to be named Big South Freshman of the Year. After posing similar numbers during his sophomore season, Burns declared for the 2021 NBA draft, only to rescind his name a few weeks later.

He went back to Winthrop for his junior year and won Big South Player of the Year. From there, Burns knew he was ready for a different challenge.  For his last year of eligibility, he transferred to NC State.

Burns’ move to NC State paid dividends

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) defends North Carolina State Wolfpack forward DJ Burns Jr. (30) during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four game, Saturday, April 6, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a more highly competitive conference (ACC), Burns continued to impress. In fact, he was even named ACC tournament MVP. Despite his success, NBA teams remained hesitant to acquire Burns because of his conditioning. In the weeks leading up to the draft, Burns was determined to change the narrative and lost 45 pounds. His transformation was so impressive, even NFL teams were interested in adding Burns to their roster.

Despite his hard work, the draft night ended in disappointment. He’d get a call up to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers Summer League team but failed to crack the rotation. Instead of fighting his way to get playing time in the G-league, Burns went for an unconventional approach to make the NBA.

Burns signs with the Goyang Sono Skygunners

Three months after the draft, Burns signed with the Goyang Sono Skygunners of the Korean Basketball League where he reportedly earns $40,000 a month. Boasting a new frame and improved footwork, Burns wasted no time making his presence known. In six games, Burns was able to average 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while playing under 23 minutes a game.

At just 24 years old, Burns’ story is far from over. While the NBA eluded him on his first try, we all know how quickly things can change.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Pelicans' exec makes team's stance on Zion Williamson crystal clear
NBA

Pelicans' exec makes team's stance on Zion Williamson crystal clear

It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.

Carter Hart, others found not guilty in Hockey Canada sexual assault trial
NHL

Carter Hart, others found not guilty in Hockey Canada sexual assault trial

Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Callan Foote, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton have been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic, after being charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team. Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s [the alleged victim] evidence “credible or reliable,” in explaining her reasoning. “Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said. The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report. Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury. The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024. When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.

The Phillies need to replace this struggling bat at the deadline
MLB

The Phillies need to replace this struggling bat at the deadline

Another year, another shot at a championship. Since their last World Series appearance in 2022, a match in which they lost, the Philadelphia Phillies have slid backwards, falling in the NLCS in 2023 and the NLDS in 2024. This year, the Phillies are back on top of the NL East, holding a slim half-game lead over the New York Mets entering Tuesday. Still, their season has been far from spotless. The Phillies have gone through immeasurable difficulties from the bullpen without Jeff Hoffman (signed with Blue Jays), Carlos Estevez (signed with Royals) or Jose Alvarado (PED suspension), especially with Jordan Romano’s descent into the dumpster fire. But with new free-agent signing David Robertson in tow, we can expect some degree of stability from the relief corps going forward — though, not to insinuate that team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is done adding bullpen arms. Another sore spot that received plenty of attention the past few months is in the outfield, left field in particular. Among all qualifying left fielders, Max Kepler maintains the second lowest OPS. Much has been made about potentially replacing him, but as bad as he’s been, there is one Philadelphia infielder that has done even worse. Once a promising bat, second baseman Bryson Stott seems to be reaching rock bottom. Below, you can his stats in comparison to that of Kepler’s: (wRC+: weighted runs created plus represents the culmination of a hitter’s offensive achievements where a value of 100 is MLB’s average) Stott has been more proficient than Kepler at recording hits, but Kepler’s power and higher walk rate gives him the edge in overall offensive stats. It was only in 2023, his second year of MLB action, when Stott hit .280/.329/.414 with 15 home runs. Unfortunately, Stott’s productivity began to slide last season. This year, his slump halted in April when he hit .314 on the month, but it quickly resumed in May (.216), worsened in June (.202) and has reached a fever-pitch in July (.132). If the Phillies are going to claw their way back to the Fall Classic, it may be better if Stott’s bat isn’t in the lineup.

This New York Yankees Prospect is Absolutely Scorching at the Plate
MLB

This New York Yankees Prospect is Absolutely Scorching at the Plate

New York Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones is absolutely scorching hot at the plate right now, as he's hit three home runs in the first five innings on Thursday for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. With 29 home runs, Jones now has the minor league lead in home runs. He's played only 67 games this season between Double-A and Triple-A, making his season even more impressive. He's hitting .308 for the season. SPENCER JONES THREE-HOMER GAME! and it's only the 5th lol The @Yankees prospect ties, takes and extends the MiLB HR lead with a big day for the @swbrailriders. He has 29 this season. Ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline, Jones is an interesting conversation point for the Yankees right now. Do they bring him up to the big leagues and let him try to help a team that has fallen to four games back in the American League East? Do they let him stay in Triple-A, where he's only played 18 games, and continue to develop? Do they include him in a trade at the deadline in order to go get help for the MLB roster? Or, do they make him off-limits in any talks? It's all part of the calculus for general manager Brian Cashman as the deadline looms on July 31. The Yankees are off on Thursday but they will resume play on Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies at home. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET as Ranger Suarez (PHI) pitches against Will Warren (NYY). Related MLB Stories DOMINANT OUTING: Cristopher Sanchez threw a complete-game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, making rare history among Phillies lefties. CLICK HERE: 20/30 ONCE AGAIN: Jose Ramirez just keeps doing things that no player in Cleveland history has ever done. CLICK HERE: TURNING DOWN AN OFFER: According to reports, D-backs star Corbin Carroll will not play for Taiwan at the World Baseball Classic. CLICK HERE:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!