Cavs land Final Four hero, national sensation as undrafted free agent

DJ Burns helped lead North Carolina State to the Final Four in this year's NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-9 big man also led them to the ACC Tournament Championship. Unfortunately for Burns, he was not selected in this year's NBA Draft. But that didn't mean that his hopes of making it to the NBA were dashed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had other ideas.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavs have signed Burns as an undrafted free agent. The star big man will join their Summer League team. The Cavs will take part in the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas, which will tip off on July 12 and last until July 22.

Cavs sign NC State star as undrafted free agent, add him to Summer League roster

Burns played in 41 games during the 2023-24 NCAA season. He averaged 12.9 points per game, 2.9 assists, and four rebounds. He also averaged 24.8 minutes per game, shot 53.1 percent from the field, 20 percent from 3-point range, and 68 percent from the line.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Burns lost 45 pounds in preparation for the draft.

Somehow, he was left undrafted, but his hard work appears to have paid off. Now, the Cavs will give him a shot to prove himself in the Summer League and potentially earn a spot on their NBA roster for the 2024-25 season. Burns was listed at 275 pounds for NC State last season.

This will be a great opportunity for Burns to show what kind of player he can be at the NBA level and if he is truly ready. It will certainly be exciting to see him in action with the Cavs in the coming weeks.

We'll see if he can prove himself and if he is ready to make an impact in the NBA.