The Portland Trail Blazers have filled out their 15-man roster with the offseason signings of Damian Lillard and Blake Wesley. With Dalano Banton ineligible for a two-way contract due to his NBA experience, Portland has officially moved on from the polarizing jumbo guard.
Not only was that the right decision for Blazers general manager Joe Cronin to make, but it also came at an ideal time in Portland's rebuild.
Dalano Banton's departure will benefit Blazers' young core
This summer, Portland prioritized its young core as ascending players like Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe are all set to take on expanded roles. Because of internal improvements and increased opportunities, all three players are breakout candidates, as indicated by their odds to win Most Improved Player on DraftKings Sportsbook.
That's ideal for their development and gives the Blazers front office a prime opportunity to evaluate their young core. Portland is looking to take that next jump in their rebuild as a team that wants to end a four year playoff drought, meaning they are entering the phase as a team that needs to shift their roster contrsruction approach from a team that wants to stockpile assets to a team that needs to figure out how all these pieces best fit together.
This was all by design as Cronin cleared the path for their young core this summer, most notably moving on from offensive-minded players such as Anfernee Simons and DeAndre Ayton. However, one overlooked decision that aligns with this shift in Portland's rebuild is their decision to quietly move on from Banton.
Last season, Banton averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds while shooting an inefficient 39.1% from the field and 32.2% from deep. He played a specific role for Portland as a sparkplug off the bench, even single-handedly winning them a few games due to unexpected fourth-quarter outbursts.
Unfortunately, Banton's skill set doesn't align with what teams value in end-of-bench players -- as evidenced by the fact he has yet to find a new landing spot. He's the opposite of former Blazer Jabari Walker as someone who needs the ball in his hands to be effective.
Banton had the third-highest usage rate on Portland's roster last season (24.1%), behind only Sharpe and Simons. Although he didn't play significant minutes (16.7), Banton's usage shows how much his departure will open up opportunities for the Blazers' true building blocks.
Cronin had his priorities right this summer. Many will point to Simons and Ayton landing elsewhere as the most notable examples of that, but moving on from Banton is an under-the-radar move that will also prove to be in Portland's best long-term interest.