Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images

The still-young Canadian has become an outside threat. But has it changed anything?

Dalano Banton joined the Portland Trail Blazers for the paltry price of a top 55 protected 2027 second round pick in the final seconds before the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

It was the franchise’s one and only deal at the February 8 buzzer, not counting the 10-day contract signed by then Rip City Remix guard Ashton Hagans that same day.

For some, the lack of deadline action would no doubt have made General Manager Joe Cronin public enemy number one. I was a little less pessimistic after having watched snippets of Banton with the Toronto Raptors, noting his ability to put the ball on the floor and get down hill.

By no means was I a Banton expert but I was confident in what I’d seen. The day after the trade, I wrote about the addition and the intriguing possibilities he presented.

The 24-year-old is an intriguing still-young point guard with small forward size and moves mimicking post knee-injury Shaun Livingston. He’s clearly not as good as the Golden State Warriors champion but Banton’s ballhandling, playmaking and ability to defend multiple positions are somewhat similar.

While his shooting splits can be best described as dismal, Banton’s shot mechanics aren’t awful.

That last bit seems to be pleasantly playing itself out in reality with Banton becoming a reliable long-range shooter over the past few weeks.

During the first Clippers game on Wednesday, Banton’s metamorphosis into a three-ball threat, was nicely captured by the Blazers’ Casey Holdahl on Twitter.

Dalano from three -- he's now made more threes in 18 games with the Trail Blazers than he had made in Toronto or Boston combined -- ends an 11-0 Clippers run
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) March 21, 2024

The improvement in Portland

Taken with the 46th pick out of Nebraska in 2021, Banton spent two seasons with his hometown Toronto Raptors and the first two-thirds of this season with the Celtics.

Through those first 119 non-Blazers games, Banton averaged 3.4 points, 1.7 boards and 1.3 assists in 9.6 minutes. No surprises, many in Oregon were unaware of his capabilities with those less than staggering numbers.

However, in 19 games with the Blazers, Banton has performed above any expectation, playing stout defense and serving as a multifaceted offensive backcourt option.

His willingness to push the pace, get downhill, navigate the paint and either finish at the rim or kick out has been pivotal for this young team. He’s been hitting 58.5 percent, collapsing defenses and when necessary opening up the floor for teammates when he distributes to either corner or at the top of the key.

Banton’s length allows him to corral guards, wings and forwards thanks to his 6’9 height and 6’10 wingspan, synergizing with the Blazers newfound focus on scrappy, high-energy defense.

As a Blazer, Banton is averaging 14.2 points 4.3 boards, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks in 25.8 minutes.

Those figures aren’t just the result of increased court time. Banton’s Per 36 minute points averages are still superior to prior seasons — 19.7 points in Portland, 11.8 in Boston and 12.8 in Toronto.

More importantly, for the first time in his career he’s shooting above 30 percent from three. In fact, he's shooting so well he's edging close to 40 percent. Banton's non-Blazer percentage (as a Raptor and a Celtic) was 25.4 percent on less than 1 attempt a game. He’s now shooting an impressive 38.1 percent on 4.7 attempts.

That’s an increase of 12.7 percent on an extra 3.8 attempts a game. The increase hasn’t been exclusive to the typically more efficient corner either. Before the trade, Banton hit none of his three non-corner attempts with the Celtics. With Portland he’s making 41 percent with the Blazers on 3.6 attempts a game, good enough for 24th among wings.

The Blazers backcourt

Some consider Banton a wing given his height. But for all intents and purposes, Banton is a guard, more specifically a point guard. The Canadian is better with the ball in his hands, thanks to a tight handle and decent vision.

On defense, his agility to guard the point of attack allows the Blazers to be bigger in the backcourt, particularly when Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson are on the court.

Shaedon Sharpe looks to be the long-term answer at shooting guard. Whether it’s Simons and Henderson at point guard, remains to be seen. Outside those three, Portland is shallow in the backcourt with Malcolm Brogdon likely moved this summer, Ashton Hagan’s still learning and Matisse Thybulle suited to a wing.

Ironically, after years of “oops, all guards" rosters, the Blazers have struggled to field a guard at times this season. Most notably on trade deadline night against the Detroit Pistons when Hagans - on the day he signed his contract - the last guard standing after Anfernee Simons went down with injury.

Relying on just Henderson, Simons and Sharpe is a recipe for disaster, given injury and the general inexperience on the court, particularly after Brogdon is moved.

Though only three years into his career, the 24-year-old Banton plays like a veteran, a presense this young team needs to counter for the inexperience on offer.

The Blazers rebuild

One thing is for sure, Portland is better off with Banton than the protected second round pick they gave up for him, both on the court and on the payroll. The Blazers have an almost $2.2 million team option on Banton for the 2024-25 season with only $217,533 initially guaranteed if it’s picked up.

On opening night, that guaranteed amount rises to $1.1 million before becoming fully guaranteed on January 10, 2025.

That’s as team friendly as you get with the Blazers able to waive, trade or keep the lengthy point guard with very little impact to the bottom line. He probably doesn’t earn enough to bring back anything of real value in trade unless aggregated with a bigger deal.

But if he’s able to maintain this level of output and the Blazers decide to keep him as a rotation guard, they’re looking good regardless of whether they’re rebuilding or trying to contend.

The jury’s out as to whether the Blazers future backcourt cornerstone is currently on the roster. It could be Shaedon Sharpe, it could be Scoot Henderson, it could be Anfernee Simons, it could be none of the above.

But it’s unlikely all three are in Portland long term. Regardless of what happens, the Blazers will need reliable backcourt players on team-friendly contracts that can do a little bit of everything.

If Banton can maintain his shooting efficiency, score and facilitate, he fits the literal definition of a back up point guard on the modern NBA.

Conclusion

Cronin enjoyed a win at the deadline, it wasn’t a logo Damian Lillard shot or a Shaedon Sharpe dunk-level win. I'd liken it to a Dalano Banton catch and shoot three, ending an opposing team’s 10-0 run.

Banton may not end up with a Shaun Livingston-type career playing a key bench role on three NBA championships. But his length, build and necessary skillset make him a handy player to have regardless of the teams place in the standings.

The Canadian’s three point shot has been the key to his Portland revival, made possible by a rebuilding team in need of any talent and plenty of court time on offer. If Banton's shot had continue to fail in Portland, his NBA future would have been a lot less certain.

But fortunately for everyone Banton has found a ready bedfellow in the Blazers and if he continues to play like he has, I’d go as far as to suggest he remains in Oregon beyond one of Simons, Henderson and Sharpe.