Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (5) and San Antonio Spurs point guard Jordan McLaughlin (11) talk during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Blazers Free Agent Forward Predicted to Sign Non-Guaranteed Deal

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers have revamped their roster slightly as the team looks to 2025-26.

Center Yang Hansen was taken surprisingly in the middle of the first round. Thus far, he's been highly impressive given his skill level and sheer size.

Veteran guard Jrue Holiday was brought in to replace Anfernee Simons. With the prospect of an extension unlikely, the soon-to-be free agent was jettisoned to Boston in a deal that brings back a proven guard with tons of experience and the defensive chops to be a perfect cultural fit.

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One name formerly with the franchise is Dalano Banton. The lengthy forward still remains as one of the more intriguing wing players out on the market. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus rated Banton as one of the top-25 free agents available. He broke down Banton's game, along with a prediction as to what will happen moving forward.

Brad Stevens & Blazers GM Joe Cronin partnered on 3 trades over the past 2+ years. The original Holiday trade for Brogdon, Rob & 2 firsts. The Dalano Banton trade which proved helpful for Portland in ‘23-‘24. And now the Holiday-Simons deal.
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) June 24, 2025

"Banton can fill multiple positions, as a lead guard or wing. At 6'9", he has height and length, which were well on display over a 30-game period with the Trail Blazers in 2023-24 (16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game)," Pincus writes. "His minutes dropped considerably this year as Portland restructured. Still, the 25-year-old could round out a team's bench, though he doesn't provide shooting support at 30.4 percent from three on his career."

Pincus ultimately predicts that Banton will get "invited to camp on a non-guaranteed deal, with a shot to stick if he can beat out the competition."

It's a bit curious that the Trail Blazers have not brought him back into the fold. As Pincus mentioned above, there was a stretch where Banton looked like a legitimate wing in the NBA. This past year, Banton — who has very good guard skills for a player 6-foot-9 — averaged 8.3 points per game in 67 games for Portland.

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Banton's struggles come with his perimeter shot. Over the course of his four-year NBA career, Banton is shooting .304 from beyond the arc. For high-level teams looking for any and every advantage, they'll surely play off Banton daring him to shoot whenever he's in the game.

Dalano Banton from Portland. 6’9 great size to guard front court players as well. A good floor general.
— garret staples (@OhioPlayer80) May 29, 2025

There's still a lot to like about his length, skill level, and relative age. It would be surprising if another team didn't end up signing Banton sooner than later.

More news: NBA Insider Predicts Blazers Guard Could Lose Roster Spot

For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.

This article first appeared on Portland Trail Blazers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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