The Golden State Warriors may remain with up to six roster spots to fill as Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency continues, but it's become clear that the front office wants to use at least half of those on back court reinforcements.
Along with the links to De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, Seth Curry and Malcolm Brogdon, we can now add another player to the list of guards the Warriors are showing interest in just weeks out from training camp.
Warriors are showing interest in free agent guard Dalano Banton
After appearing in 67 games for the Portland Trail Blazers last season, Dalano Banton remains an unrestricted free agent this offseason as he searches for another NBA opportunity four years into his career.
That opportunity could still arise at the Warriors after Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard reported on Thursday that Banton recently worked out at Chase Center with the potential of vying for a training camp invite.
Standing at 6'9", Banton is super-sized for the point guard position which has made him an intriguing prospect across his career to date. That was particularly the case at the end of the 2023-24 season where he played 30 games for the Trail Blazers after being traded by the Boston Celtics.
During that span Banton saw significant playing time and opportunity, averaging nearly 30 minutes per game where he posted 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and nearly a steal per game. He scored 25+ points in eight of his last 21 games in that season, including a career-high 31 points to go with five rebounds and nine assists against the Atlanta Hawks on March 27.
While he did play in 67 games last season, Banton's playing time fell to 16.7 minutes where he averaged 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. The Canadian may have showed stretches of being an incredibly productive NBA player across different points over the past couple of years, but it's his efficiency which has been an issue and might be the primary reason he remains without a team this offseason.
Banton has shot just 40.2% from the floor and 30.4% from 3-point range for his career, while his less than 2:1 career assist-to-turnover ratio isn't ideal. For a team like the Warriors who need more 3-point shooting threats, this could prove a real hindrance to Banton's hopes of landing in the Bay Area.
Given he's no longer eligible for a two-way contract, the chances of Banton working his way onto the Golden State roster for opening night should still be considered slim despite this recent development.