The Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to land a second-round pick in the NBA Draft and failed. But they got a guy who may be worth two picks.
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So the Cavs did manage to land someone for their summer league run, anyway. And that someone is big with a capital B.
As first reported by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavs have agreed to a deal with NC State power forward DJ Burns Jr., who's 6-foot-9 and ended last season at close to 300 pounds.
But hey, Burns reportedly has shed 45 pounds since starring for the Wolfpack in the NCAA Tournament — averaging 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
He was also the first NC State player to be named ACC Tournament MVP since Vinny Del Negro did it back in 1987.
His college career got off to a rocky start, as Burns rode the bench at Tennessee before transferring to Winthrop. It was there that he was named Big South Player of the Year before transferring again, this time to NC State.
"While it was unlikely that Burns would even get any looks at the league just a couple months ago, things quickly changed following a Cinderella-like performance both in the ACC tournament and the Big Dance, putting the Smooth Operator in the national spotlight," wrote Charlie Gribble of 24/7 Sports.
For the Cavaliers, the NBA Summer League tips off July 12 in Las Vegas, with the last possible game taking place 10 days later. The team will also include first-round pick Jaylon Tyson, a 6-5 wing out of California.
Cleveland is the defending Vegas summer league champion, by the way.
"This opportunity could be a game-changer for Burns, allowing him to showcase his skills on a larger platform," wrote Chris Phelps of Athlon Sports. "It could potentially open doors for him, such as an invitation to the Cavaliers' training camp or that of another team, underscoring the potential career opportunities his weight loss could bring."
(Portions of this story were reprinted with permission from Hoops Wire.)
