Dalano Banton Bio
Dalano Banton is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Nebraska Cornhuskers before entering the NBA. Banton was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 46th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, becoming the first Canadian player ever drafted by the Canadian franchise.
Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighing around 92 kilograms, Banton is a long, versatile guard known for his rebounding and playmaking. He has spent time with the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Maine Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers, and he wears the nickname D.B. Hooper around the league.
Early Life and Background
Dalano Banton was born on November 7, 1999, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in the Mount Olive area within the Rexdale neighborhood of Toronto, the son of a Jamaican father and a Canadian mother. Banton began playing basketball as a child at the North Kipling Community Centre, the Rexdale Community Hub, and a local parking lot, and he also attended basketball camps hosted by former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan in his neighborhood.
He attended Central Toronto Academy in his early high school years before transferring to MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts, and Redemption Christian Academy in Northfield, Massachusetts. Originally part of the 2019 recruiting class, Banton reclassified into 2018 and finished as a consensus four-star recruit. He was ranked in the top 100 recruits nationally in 2018 by Rivals at number 80 and by 247Sports at number 92. On November 14, 2017, Banton committed to Western Kentucky over Kansas State, UMass, and Minnesota.
Path to Professional Basketball
As a freshman at Western Kentucky, Banton played 31 games and averaged 3.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He made 12 starts and nearly had a triple-double with eight points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a career-high 38 minutes in a win over number 15 Wisconsin, becoming one of only six Division I players to reach those numbers in 2018–19. After that season, on April 10, 2019, Banton announced his intent to transfer from Western Kentucky and committed to Nebraska on May 1, 2019.
Banton sat out the 2019–20 season at Nebraska under NCAA transfer rules, using the time to develop on the scout team. He helped the Huskers to a 4–0 record on their trip to Italy in August 2019, averaging 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. On December 17, 2020, Banton recorded just the second triple-double in Nebraska men’s basketball history with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 110–64 win over Doane University. He averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 2020–21, then declared for the 2021 NBA draft and confirmed on July 2, 2021, that he was remaining in the draft.
Dalano Banton Career
Toronto Raptors (2021–2023)
Banton was drafted with the 46th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first Canadian ever selected by the franchise. He signed a multi-year contract on August 14, 2021, and chose jersey number 45 to honor the TTC 45 Kipling bus that served the neighborhood where he grew up. Banton made his professional debut on October 20, 2021, in the Raptors’ season and home opener against the Washington Wizards, scoring his first career NBA points on a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the third quarter.
On November 13, 2021, he scored a season-high 12 points with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in a 127–121 loss to the Detroit Pistons. His role grew in his second season, and on November 24, 2022, Banton scored a career-high 27 points, along with four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks, in a 115–111 win over the Detroit Pistons. He also spent time with Raptors 905 in the NBA G League to continue his development.
Boston Celtics (2023–2024)
On July 3, 2023, Banton signed a 2-year deal with the Boston Celtics. He spent time with the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League while competing for minutes in Boston. Banton was later traded, along with cash, to the Portland Trail Blazers on February 8, 2024, in exchange for a protected second-round pick.
Portland Trail Blazers (2024–2025)
Banton set a new career high on March 27, 2024, scoring 31 points with five rebounds and nine assists in a 120–106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In Portland’s season finale against the Sacramento Kings on April 14, he went 0-for-15 from beyond the arc, becoming the first player in NBA history to attempt that many three-point shots without a make.
He opened the 2024–25 season on a strong note, scoring 20 points in under 12 minutes in a 118–100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on November 4, 2024, the first such feat in Portland franchise history and only the seventh such instance across the NBA. On October 7, 2025, the Dallas Mavericks signed Banton to an Exhibit 10 contract before waiving him ten days later on October 17, 2025.
Texas Legends Era (2025–Present)
After his release from the Dallas Mavericks, Banton joined the Texas Legends of the NBA G League, where he continues to compete. His combination of size and ball-handling has allowed him to play multiple perimeter positions while running the offense at the G League level.
Playing Style and Strengths
Banton uses his 6-foot-8 frame to play a point-forward style, allowing him to see over defenders and rebound from the guard position. He is a willing passer who can initiate offense in transition, and his size helps him finish at the rim against smaller defenders. Scouts have noted that his rebounding and assist numbers reflect a guard comfortable in a versatile role.
Notable Events and Milestones
Banton became the first Canadian player ever drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2021 and later recorded the second triple-double in Nebraska men’s basketball history on December 17, 2020. He set career highs of 27 points with Toronto and 31 points with Portland, and he made NBA history on April 14, 2024, by attempting 15 three-pointers without a make, the most such attempts without a conversion in league history.
Dalano Banton Personal Life
Beyond his basketball career, Banton remains connected to his roots in the Rexdale neighborhood of Toronto, and he has credited his local community centers with shaping his development as a player. His choice of jersey number 45 reflects his appreciation for the city bus that served the area where he grew up.
2025 Season Performance
Banton’s 2025 calendar year opened with the Dallas Mavericks signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract on October 7, 2025, a deal that allowed him to be considered for a roster spot in Dallas. The Mavericks waived him on October 17, 2025, along with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dennis Smith Jr., clearing the way for Banton to join the Texas Legends of the NBA G League.
Throughout 2025, Banton has continued to display the scoring bursts that have defined his career, including his 20-point performance in under 12 minutes for the Portland Trail Blazers in November 2024 that remained one of the season’s most efficient stretches. As he settles into the Texas Legends system, Banton is expected to compete for a return to the NBA while refining his perimeter shooting and playmaking consistency.