The Dallas Mavericks have waived former Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton. NBA insider Marc Stein reports that the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, holds the G League rights on Banton. He notes that Dallas also waived Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dennis Smith Jr., and is in discussions to acquire Smith’s G League rights from the Wisconsin Herd, G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks.
In general, it’s somewhat surprising that Banton wasn’t able to make a 15-man NBA roster this season. He’s arguably NBA-level talent, averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds on 39/32/73 shooting splits last season in Portland. But after Banton had signed with Dallas, the writing seemed to be on the wall in terms of being waived.
Stein mentioned on X that Dallas’ roster was “realistically full,” suggesting that this move was to simply acquire his G League rights (same with Robinson-Earl). Banton had “no shortage of overseas interest,” according to Stein, but held out in hopes of continuing his NBA journey.
Dalano Banton’s skillset doesn’t scale down to his role
You’d think a 6-foot-8 guard with a knack for scoring would be a coveted asset around the league, especially considering how the modern NBA is trending towards these jumbo playmakers — Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, etc. — to create constant mismatches on the offensive end. But there are two glaring weaknesses in Banton’s game that teams apparently can’t seem to overlook: his shooting inefficiencies and inability to get teammates involved.
Banton’s role with the Blazers was that of a microwave scorer — a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ player who Chauncey Billups could go to in very particular situations when they desperately needed to generate offense by any means necessary. The problem, however, is that Banton’s style of play isn’t conducive to winning basketball at the highest level.
The three highest usage rates of anyone on Portland’s roster last season were Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and… Banton.
Many looked at Portland getting off Simons as proof that their offense was finally going to change. Throughout the offseason, Billups has emphasized having more overall movement and less predictability. However, quietly, the most important piece Portland moved to help achieve this team-oriented style of play was Banton.
His talent is undeniable, and he has a unique skillset for his size, but teams appear to be coming to the same realization about Banton that the Blazers made this summer.