Lakers News: LA Holds Pre-Draft Workout For March Madness Darling

The Purple and Gold held a workout for this NCAA Tournament standout.

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

NC State big man and March Madness darling DJ Burns was brought to Los Angeles and worked out for the Lakers in a pre-draft workout. 

Although Burns wasn't invited to the NBA Draft Combine, that didn't stop him from putting in the work to be selected in next month's NBA draft. Not only did he work on his game, but he also worked on his physique. 

Per a new report from NBA insider Shams Charania for The Athletic, he has dropped 45 pounds since leading his team to a magical run in this year's tournament. 

"DJ Burns told me he has lost 45 pounds in the last six and a half weeks...He told me no Ozempic, he said he's been doing workouts 4 days a week, at 5am."@ShamsCharania on draft project DJ Burns. pic.twitter.com/NPOc9Bxuh8

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 22, 2024

DJ Burns Jr. says he has lost 45 pounds in the last six and a half weeks 🤯

Doing four 5AM workouts a week 😤 pic.twitter.com/Sg1S1GohWi

— The Players' Lounge (@ThPlayersLounge) May 22, 2024

Burns told Charania that he wanted to clarify that he did not take Ozempic. 

The 23-year-old was solid for the Wolfpack during the regular season averaging 12.9 points on 53.1 percent shooting. However, those numbers skyrocketed in the postseason, as he led the Wolfpack to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament, averaging 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 62.5% from the field. 

Burns led his Wolfpack to the ACC tournament championship, which helped his team qualify for the big dance. In that stellar run to qualify, Burns was named the ACC tournament MVP. 

As things stand, many mock draft projections don't have Burns being selected in the NBA draft. However, his body transformation could do wonders for the South Carolina native. 

Prior to his two seasons at NC State, Burns played at Winthrop from 2019-22. He was named to the first-team All-Big South and was named the Big South Freshman of the Year in 2020. 

If Burns can continue to drop weight and improve his game, he will likely earn a spot with some team in the summer league. From then on, anything can happen. 

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