DALANO BANTON NEWS

Will return to Portland The Trail Blazers picked up Banton's $2.2 million team option Saturday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

Impact Banton will return to Portland after being acquired by the team via trade from the Celtics on Feb. 8. The 24-year-old balled out in his time with the Blazers, during which he averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 0.9 steals over 30 regular-season games. Banton could be in for a significant role on a rebuilding team, especially if the Trail Blazers trade away any of their veteran players.

JUNE 29 • ROTOWIRE

Drops 17 points in finale Banton racked up 17 points (6-26 FG, 0-15 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 39 minutes before getting ejected from Sunday's 121-82 loss to the Kings.

Impact Banton came back to earth in the final game of the season, but there's no denying his prolific stat lines in the closing weeks of the season. Portland has a $2.2M team option for next season, snd his standout play may compel the organization to pick it up.

APRIL 15 • ROTOWIRE

Trail Blazers' Dalano Banton Made Unwanted NBA History During Blowout Loss vs. Kings Dalano Banton shot 0-for-15 from three-point range in what was a historic performance during the Trail Blazers' loss to the Kings.

APRIL 15 • SI.COM

Tossed in finale Banton was ejected from Sunday's game against the Kings after receiving a Flagrant 2 foul with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.

Impact An abysmal shooting performance proceeded Banton's ejection, as he cemented himself in Trail Blazer history by becoming the first player to attempt 15 three-pointers without a make. Despite the disappointing end to the campaign, Banton made his mark and may have solidified an opportunity next season with his stellar play over the final two months of 2023-24. Since March 1 (23 appearances), Banton has averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks in 31.9 minutes per game.

APRIL 14 • ROTOWIRE

Starting Sunday Banton will start at point guard in Sunday's season finale in Sacramento.

Impact With Scoot Henderson (hip) sidelined, Banton will be inserted in the starting lineup. He has averaged 18.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 33.1 minutes in eight games as a starter.

APRIL 14 • ROTOWIRE

28 points in return to action Banton ended with 28 points (9-26 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 8-9 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 38 minutes during Friday's 116-107 loss to Houston.

Impact Banton is flashiing potential that evaded him during stints with Boston and Toronto, and his resurgent play could allow Portland some flexibility as they make offseason decisions on its roster. The Trail Blazers made a solid investment in Scoot Henderson, but with Banton emerging as a scoring threat, the team may be able to make some deals in the offseason to clear room for him. They could also trade him to a team that needs a proven backcourt option.

APRIL 13 • ROTOWIRE

Cleared to play Friday Banton (ankle) is available for Friday's game against Houston.

Impact Banton will return from a one-game absence after sitting out Thursday against the Warriors. He had a featured role prior to the injury, and he's likely to be very involved in the offense Friday.

APRIL 13 • ROTOWIRE

Iffy for Friday Banton (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game against the Rockets.

Impact Banton was sidelined for Thursday's loss to the Warriors and may miss the second half of Portland's back-to-back. He's been one of the lone bright spots for the Trail Blazers to end the 2023-24 season, as he's averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 31.6 minutes over 22 appearances since the beginning of March.

APRIL 12 • ROTOWIRE

Out against Warriors Banton (ankle) will not play against the Warriors on Thursday.

Impact Banton's absence is a tough blow for Portland, as he's been a huge part of their rotation in recent games. The guard should be considered questionable for Friday against the Rockets. As for Thursday, guys like Ashton Hagans and Justin Minaya could potentially see larger roles.

APRIL 12 • ROTOWIRE

Late addition to injury report Banton is listed as questionable for Thursday's game versus the Warriors due to a left ankle sprain.

Impact Despite not appearing on Portland's injury report all day, Banton is now in danger of missing his first game since Feb. 8 on Wednesday. If the 23-year-old guard is ruled out, Ashton Hagans and Justin Minaya are candidates to receive increased playing time.

APRIL 11 • ROTOWIRE

Blazers' Dalano Banton on career breakthrough after trade: 'I think I learned a lot' The 24-year-old has had a career resurgence for a depleted Portland team. He opened up on his journey.

APRIL 9 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Top scorer off bench in defeat Banton ended with 28 points (11-23 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, nine assists and one steal in 37 minutes during Sunday's 124-107 loss to the Celtics.

Impact Banton led all players in Sunday's contest in scoring while connecting on a team-high-tying trio of threes and leading the Trail Blazers in assists in a near double-double performance. Banton tied a season-high assist mark, also doing so March 27 against Atlanta. He has now recorded 28 or more points in five games this season, all of which have occurred over the last month of the year.

APRIL 8 • ROTOWIRE

Leads bench in all-around outing Banton ended with 21 points (8-20 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 3-5 FT), eight rebounds and eight assists over 34 minutes in Friday's 108-102 win over Washington.

Impact Banton did it all for Portland off the bench, leading all bench players in scoring and rebounds while leading the Trail Blazers in assists in extended time on the second unit. Banton posted his second game of the season with eight or more assists, tallying his seventh game with at least five rebounds and five assists. He has now surpassed the 20-point mark in seven contests, including in four of his last six appearances.

APRIL 6 • ROTOWIRE

Shines off bench once again Banton registered 26 points (8-17 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 6-8 FT), five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three steals across 35 minutes during Monday's 104-103 loss to Orlando.

Impact Banton has been on fire in recent weeks and is thriving in a bench role, as he's been the leading scorer of the second unit by a sizable margin. He's even led the entire Portland squad in points in a fair share of games over the last few weeks, as he's ending the campaign on a strong note and making a strong name for himself, as his current deal includes a $2.2 million team option for 2024-25. Banton is averaging 18.8 points per game across his last 11 outings.

APRIL 2 • ROTOWIRE

Former Celtics bench players continue thriving with new teams Both Lamar Stevens and Dalano Banton have turned heads with their new teams after getting traded from the Celtics.

MARCH 29 • MASSLIVE.COM

Scores season-high 31 points Banton registered 31 points (13-23 FG, 5-11 3Pt), five rebounds, nine assists and two steals across 37 minutes during Wednesday's 120-106 loss to the Hawks.

Impact Banton posted his best scoring mark of the campaign, and he also extended his impressive stretch of games with double-digit points to nine despite coming off the bench in the last six. Banton is averaging 18.8 points per game in that nine-game stretch, and he'll aim to keep that run alive when facing the Heat on Friday.

MARCH 28 • ROTOWIRE

Shines off bench in loss Banton accumulated 28 points (11-21 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal over 39 minutes during Monday's 110-92 loss to Houston.

Impact Banton has been one of the top performers in recent weeks for a struggling Blazers team, and while a bench role might limit his upside, he seems to be thriving as a scoring option for Portland. He has scored in double digits in all but one of his 15 appearances this month (seven starts), averaging 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in that span.

MARCH 26 • ROTOWIRE

Not starting Monday Banton won't start Monday's game against the Bulls, Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site reports.

Impact Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson will start in the backcourt Monday, sending Banton to a reserve role. Banton has been productive over his last 10 games (seven starts), averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals-plus-blocks in 30.0 minutes per game.

MARCH 18 • ROTOWIRE

Scores team-high 28 points Banton closed with 28 points (10-20 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, six assists and one block over 42 minutes during Saturday's 126-107 loss to the Pelicans.

Impact Banton continues to impress, playing a much larger role than anyone could have envisaged, even a month ago. He has scored double-digits in nine of the past 10 games, three of those performances landing at least 25 points. While there is no guarantee this sticks moving forward, Banton needs to be rostered right now, even in standard leagues.

MARCH 17 • ROTOWIRE

Back to bench role Banton is not in the starting lineup to face the Pelicans on Saturday

Impact Banton will head back to the bench with the return of Anfernee Simons. He's averaging just 4.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game when playing off the bench, so his fantasy upside certainly takes a hit if he's not starting.

MARCH 16 • ROTOWIRE

Struggles with shot in loss Banton supplied 16 points (6-20 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and four steals in 42 minutes during Thursday's 105-93 loss to the Knicks.

Impact Banton scored in double digits for the sixth consecutive start, but he struggled badly from the field and needed 20 shots to score 16 points in this one. Banton could remain in a starting role when the Blazers take on the Pelicans on Saturday, and he's averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game when deployed with the first unit.

MARCH 15 • ROTOWIRE

Returns to starting lineup Banton is in the starting five for Wednesday's game versus the Hawks, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com reports.

Impact Banton will replace Scoot Henderson in the starting lineup Wednesday. Banton is averaging 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 32.2 minutes across his previous five starts this season.

MARCH 14 • ROTOWIRE

Modest production Monday Banton ended with eight points (2-6 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds and four assists over 22 minutes during Monday's 121-99 loss to the Celtics.

Impact Banton's minute share was solid, although his offensive output underwhelmed. Banton playing behind developmental priority Scoot Henderson and offensive stabilizers in Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton represents too many mouths to feed in Portland. However, Banton has streaming credibility when any of the aforementioned cast are unavailable for Portland moving forward.

MARCH 12 • ROTOWIRE

Former Celtics guard credits Boston tenure for early Blazers success Dalano Banton was part of the "Stay Ready" group when he was with the Celtics, which helped his transition to a new team.

MARCH 12 • MASSLIVE.COM

Returns to bench Monday Banton will come off the bench with Scoot Henderson rejoining the starting lineup Monday versus Boston.

Impact Banton's run as a starter showcased his bucket-getting prowess, as the 24-year-old delivered a four-game stretch of 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 19.0 shots in 35.5 minutes a night. Monday will represent a litmus test for his post-breakout workload off the bench.

MARCH 12 • ROTOWIRE