Former NC State forward DJ Burns waived by Greensboro Swarm ahead of season opener

Jadyn Watson-Fisher, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Oct 31, 2025

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RALEIGH, N.C. — After expecting to play again in North Carolina, DJ Burns will not take the court for the Greensboro Swarm.

The franchise, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, announced on Friday that Burns was one of three players waived ahead of the season opener. Jairu Hamilton and Olisa Akonobi were also waived. Burns was initially signed through the undrafted player pool.

Burns signed with the Swarm on Saturday, and the initial announcement indicated he would be available for the season opener on Nov. 7.

The Swarm now have 14 players on the roster, which includes two-way players KJ Simpson (Colorado), Drew Peterson (Southern California) and Antonio Reeves (Kentucky). It also features Jonas Aidoo, a former Tennessee and Arkansas forward originally from Durham, and DJ Rodman, son of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.

College basketball fans on social media expressed excitement when the franchise announced the addition, but his time with the team was brief.

Burns spent the 2024-25 season with the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League. He played 54 games and averaged 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in just under 19 minutes per game.

He went undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft and played four games for the Cleveland Cavaliers that summer in the NBA2K Summer League. He contributed 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and one assist in 12 minutes per game.

In his summer league finale last year, Burns finished with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, two rebounds, one assist and one block in 12 minutes off the bench.

Burns started his college career at Tennessee, where he redshirted. He then spent three seasons at Winthrop before transferring to N.C. State and played for two seasons.

The Rock Hill, S.C., native averaged 12.9 points and four rebounds per game during N.C. State’s 2023-24 season. He played a key role in the Wolfpack’s ACC championship and Final Four run, reaching double figures 31 times and recording a pair of double-doubles.