With their recent signings of Damian Lillard and Blake Wesley, the Portland Trail Blazers have filled all 15 roster spots. They have a two-way spot remaining, but Dalano Banton is ineligible to sign a two-way deal since he has more than four years of NBA experience, entering the league in 2021 as the No. 46 overall pick by the Toronto Raptors.
Banton remains an unrestricted free agent, and it's clear that his time in Portland has come to an end with them prioritizing Wesley over him. It's unsurprising that this is the case, as Banton and Jabari Walker were strong candidates to land elsewhere as two fringe rotational players set to hit free agency.
Did Portland make the right call moving on from Banton?
Comparing Wesley directly to Banton, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin made the right decision in picking the former.
Wesley is 22 and was a first-round pick (No. 25) by the San Antonio Spurs in 2022. His age and draft capital investment suggest he possesses a higher ceiling than Banton, which is what a rebuilding Portland team should emphasize with its final roster spots.
Wesley has a few weaknesses similar to Banton, such as needing to improve his decision-making/shot selection and efficiency. Last season in San Antonio, Wesley averaged 3.7 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 rebounds on 44/29/62 shooting splits. That said, his strengths make him a much better fit for the Blazers' roster.
At its core, Portland is a team that thrives on its length and athleticism, getting stops and scoring in transition. Wesley is just 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, but his quick burst and 6-foot-9 wingspan make him a pest defensively out on the perimeter.
This offseason, the Blazers have committed to their defensive identity and invested in Scoot Henderson. That was most apparent when they swapped Anfernee Simons for six-time NBA All-Defensive Team member Jrue Holiday. Relative to Simons, Holiday's lower usage rate will give Henderson more room to breakout in an increased role. But to a lesser extent, they also accomplished the same thing by choosing Wesley over Banton.
The primary issue with Banton's fit on the Blazers' roster is that he's at his best as the focal point of the offense, but Portland's offense isn't at its best when he's the focal point. In other words, given his talent level, his skill set doesn't scale down to what they need. Going from Banton's 7.6 field goal attempts per game to Wesley's 3.2 will quietly help unlock the rest of the Blazers' young core, particularly Henderson.
Banton should be able to stick around in the league given his unique jumbo guard skillset, and any team in need of a sparkplug scorer should consider picking him up. He just wasn't part of Portland's new vision. And in the long run, they'll be better off because of it.