NC State basketball alum DJ Burns could earn roughly $40k this season in the NBA G League. And then there’s the option to rake in about 10 times that salary by playing overseas.
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It appears Burns chose the latter, as the Korean Basketball League’s Goyang Sono Skygunners officially announced the signing of the 23-year-old Burns this weekend.
However, Burns’ addition to the roster doesn’t rule out the possibility of the 6-foot-9, 260-pound forward from Rock Hill, S.C., snagging an NBA opportunity at some point down the line. Should he become a dominant force for the Skygunners, who play their home games in the 6,216-seat Goyang Gymnasium, he may well land on the radar of teams in the league.
DJ Burns went undrafted in June. However, he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Summer League action in July and delivered a few promising performances.
As a beloved two-year NC State basketball weapon, who transferred into the program after starring at Winthrop for three seasons and becoming the 2021-22 Big South Player of the Year, Burns averaged 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 54.4 percent from the field.
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He took home 2024 ACC Tournament MVP honors and helped power the underdog Wolfpack to the program’s first Final Four appearance in 41 years. That unforgettable journey included Burns’ 29-point outing in NC State’s Elite Eight win over ACC powerhouse Duke.
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