Celtics Reportedly Deal Away Reserve Guard To Trail Blazers

The Celtics and Trail Blazers got together this offseason to pull off a seismic trade with Boston acquiring Jrue Holiday in exchange for Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon and a pair of first-round draft picks.

The two sides were back at it again Thursday, teaming up on a deal just before the 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline. But this trade didn’t carry nearly the same weight as their previous one.

The Celtics sent reserve guard Dalano Banton to the Trail Blazers in exchange for a highly protected second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer later revealed the pick Boston obtained was a top-55 protected pick in 2027.

Banton, who signed a two-year, $4.2 million contract with the Celtics, played a limited role off the bench this season for Boston. The 24-year-old played in 24 games and averaged just 7.1 minutes while scoring 2.3 points and grabbing 1.5 rebounds per game. Banton also shot 12.5% (2-for-16) from beyond the arc.

The Celtics obviously didn’t get much in the form of draft capital from the Trail Blazers, but with the two deadline deals they made previously, Banton ended up being the odd-man out on the bench.

Jaden Springer, who the Celtics acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers for a second-round pick, essentially will take Banton’s place on the team while Boston also added front-court depth Wednesday by trading for Memphis Grizzlies big man Xavier Tillman.