Dalano Banton was selected 46th overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2021 NBA Draft as a Rexdale native and older collegiate big combo guard. He embraced a hometown identity, wearing number 25 in tribute to the 45 Kipling TTC route he used growing up. Banton received sporadic opportunities, including a career-high performance against Detroit in November 2022, but consistent playing time remained limited. He averaged 10.9 minutes in his rookie season and 9.0 minutes the next year across 95 games. The Raptors allowed him to leave in 2023 free agency, after which he signed with the Boston Celtics.
It's like one minute there's a player I know is in the league, and in the blink of an eye, that same guy could be out of the NBA, and I wouldn't even notice it happening. And that sentiment holds true for many former players from the Toronto Raptors' past, but one name that honestly feels like he was just with the team yesterday and now seems to have drifted off into the sunset is Dalano Banton.
Back in the 2021 NBA Draft, of course, the talk of the town was Toronto's lottery pick Scottie Barnes, but the Raptors could also highlight that class as the source of the franchise's first-ever Canadian selected in the draft. The Raptors used their 46th overall second-round pick on Rexdale native Dalano Banton, a big combo guard who was coming into the league as an older collegiate prospect.
And while Banton experienced moments of an elevated role in Toronto, such as his career-high (up until that point) against Detroit in November 2022, it wasn't a common occurrence during his time with the Raptors. Ultimately, when his tenure in the city came to an end, he averaged just 10.9 minutes in his first year with the team and 9.0 minutes the following season.
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