DJ Burns is living the life right now.
The star big man of the NC State Wolfpack is having plenty of fun on and off right now as everything is falling into place for his basketball career. The big man is taking shots at teams he’s taken down as he leads the team to an improbable but incredible March Madness run.
However, he understands he doesn’t have the same pulling power as some of his big-name colleagues in the collegiate basketball game. He recently revealed that he’s already made moves to prepare for his post-collegiate days even before he caught the nation’s attention.
NC State Wolfpack’s DJ Burns owns vending machines as a side hustle
Weston Blasi of MarketWatch wrote about the wise investment the surprise March Madness star’s NBA draft stock increased after an impressive takedown of Duke.
He shared in a recent Pardon My Take episode that he’s trying to make do with the NIL money he was getting. The 23-year-old was getting peanuts compared to big-name players like Caitlin Clark and Jared McCain, after all.
He shared that his vending machine venture started when he talked with one of his trainers in Gabe Blair:
“I was just talking to him about some things I went through, and what are ways to make money outside of basketball so you’re not like one-dimensional as a person. That was one of the things he showed me, and I took after it.”
Burns went on to say that he owns two vending machines himself, and has advised other people in his life to pursue the same strategy.
Vending machines are becoming more popular among Americans as a way to maximize their incomes. Videos on social media champion the venture as a wise investment of their money. The fact that he’s advising his loved ones to get vending machines themselves shows how great of an investment these machines are.
Funnily enough, the 6’9″, 260-lb power forward shared one problem when it comes to owning his own vending machine:
“I’m gonna be honest: I can’t eat what’s in my vending machines. But it sells well for sure.”
Will DJ Burns get drafted in the 2024 NBA Draft?
Burns’s breakout party in the 2024 edition of March Madness increased interest in him as a potential NBA player. Players who stand out in the tournament do end up getting drafted, with Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Jimmer Fredette being some of the most notable examples.
He has the physicality to survive against the bigs in the NBA, and his season averages of 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 53% shooting and 68% from the charity stripe should make him a viable bench option.
However, his lack of three-point shooting makes it a problem big enough for NBA teams to pass on him. Moreover, he’s undersized compared to some of the giants he’ll be facing in the pros.
While it’s likely that he’ll get selected in the draft, a long NBA career will be up to his work ethic and drive to develop a three-point shot.
Regardless of what happens to his pro career, it’s nice to know that he has a small business to fall back on if his NBA journey flops.
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