As the 2025 NBA Playoffs twist and turn (Hello, Knicks!) and the Portland Trail Blazers await their fate in the NBA Draft Lottery, we’re taking a look at the performance of Portland’s current roster during the 2024-25 season. So far we’ve talked about Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan. Today we’re examining a guy who made ripples off the bench, to the positive and negative, 6’9 guard Dalano Banton.

The Good

Banton is a scorer. He ranks fourth on the Blazers in points per minute and possession, behind only the heavy hitters. That’s no mean feat considering he played half the minutes of the starters. Often players need to get into rhythm to get aggressive. Banton comes ready to rock the moment he hits the court.

Banton also ranks surprisingly well in assists per minute and possession, nestled just south of Anfernee Simons and just north of Deni Avdija. The eye test says that Banton isn’t much of a point guard. Maybe he’s a bit more of a distributor than he gets credit for.

The Bad

If Banton is a scorer, he’s not an efficient one. Among significant rotation players, only Jerami Grant shot worse than Banton’s 39.1% clip from the field. His 32.4% rate from the three-point arc is middle-of-the-road for the Blazers but doesn’t exactly recommend him as an NBA sharpshooter. Banton’s 46.2% effective field goal percentage is the worst of any regular Portland player.

Despite his length, Banton is not a good defender. “Undistinguished” might be the best word for it. He lets players by him and generally doesn’t make an impact on that end.

Guards like Banton are more prone to turnovers because they handle the ball often, but his 3.7 turnovers per 100 possessions puts him just south of Deni Avdija, which isn’t necessarily a compliment.

The Analysis

The allure of Dalano Banton is having a 6’9 point guard. His scoring chops ice that cake. Theoretically he should be a matchup nightmare every time he takes the court.

In practice it doesn’t work out that way. The first question becomes, “Is he really a point guard?” It depends on your definition. He can distribute and pass, but the best version of Dalano Banton is the scoring version. But if he’s more of a pass-heavy shooting guard, his height becomes slightly less special. Also he doesn’t play defense well enough to secure him a wing spot with the new-look Trail Blazers. We might say, “Screw it! Just use him as a Vinnie Johnson, microwave scorer off the bench, letting him play to his strengths at both guard spots!” Ok, but then what’s with those abysmal shooting percentages? Johnson shot 46% from the floor, not 39%.

Right now Banton is a player in search of a position, also a skillset that will keep him on the floor. He doesn’t have to be perfect in any area, but he’s got to be really good in at least a couple of them to justify his minutes. That’s only halfway happening, which is pretty much the description of Banton’s season.

What’s Next?

Up until now, being a cheap date ($2.2 million contract, picked up with a trade exception) has alleviated concerns about Banton. Anything he’s provided has been gravy. His offense keyed several late-game runs during the season, so all was well and good. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Banton’s contract is up this year, however. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. Do the Blazers want, or need, him back? That’s the biggest question right now. The second is like it: at what price? Gary Trent, Jr. played for the Milwaukee Bucks for $2.1 million this season, the same price as Banton. Trent, Jr. shot 43.1% from the field, 41.6% from the arc, and at least has a history of playing defense. I’m not sure Banton is in for a big raise.

If the parties do come to a mutual agreement, Banton will need to work on more efficient scoring, not just volume scoring. His career high field goal percentage for a season—42.3% in 2022-23—might be acceptable, though still not remarkable. Shooting below 40% just won’t do it. Maybe defense and ball care are too much to ask for, but good offense from an offensive-oriented player shouldn’t be.