DJ Burns Says He Lost 45 Pounds with 'No Ozempic' Thanks to 2024 NBA Draft Workouts

Former NC State big man DJ Burns Jr. became one of the darlings of the men's NCAA tournament this past season after leading the Wolfpack to the Final Four, and it sounds like he will bring an improved version of himself to the NBA.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Wednesday that he attended Burns' pro day and was told that the forward lost 45 pounds over the last six-and-a-half weeks. Burns told Charania himself that his incredible weight loss was thanks to his early-morning cardio workouts and was done with "no Ozempic."

A 6'9" power forward, Burns was listed at 275 pounds when he ended the 2023-24 season. He averaged 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 41 games as a fifth-year senior while also shooting 53.1 percent from the field. He upped his game during the NCAA tournament with averages of 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while connecting on 62.5 percent of his field goals.

Burns' unique combination of size and footwork had some wondering if he should make a transition to football. Before the 2024 NFL draft last month, a league executive told Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team that he believes Burns has skills that make him an attractive prospect.

"The scout in me sees stuff with him when you watch him play basketball that makes you think, 'Wow he would be an interesting project if he wanted to try football,'" the exec said. "The footwork and lateral agility especially is intriguing."

However, Burns quickly put those talks to rest when he said before the Final Four that he had "zero" interest in pursuing a career in the NFL. NC State head coach Kevin Keatts described the big man as a gentle giant whose personality is not suited for football.

"No way he's going to play football," Keatts said at the time. "I mean, listen, he's got a great touch. He's not that bully that you guys think. You spent some time with him? He's a teddy bear off the court."

Now, it appears that Burns has given himself a stronger chance to be selected in the NBA draft, which is scheduled for June 26-27 in Brooklyn.