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The Boston Celtics made a late roster move official on Friday, announcing that they have signed Dalano Banton to a standard NBA contract ahead of the playoffs. The move matters for a team trying to enter the postseason with as much depth and flexibility as possible.
Banton is familiar to Boston. He previously spent time with the Celtics during the 2023-24 season before the team traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers at the deadline in February 2024. That means he was with Boston earlier in the broader championship season, even though he was moved before the Celtics completed their 2024 title run.
That history makes this signing more than a random end-of-roster move. Boston knows Banton, understands what he can do, and clearly saw enough value to bring him back on a standard deal just before the playoffs begin.
Celtics Bring Back a Familiar Depth Piece in Dalano Banton
At 6-foot-8, Banton gives the Celtics a different kind of reserve option. He has guard skills, can handle the ball in space, and offers size that fits Boston’s preference for versatile lineups. He is not likely to jump into a major playoff role, but that is not really the point of this move.
This time of year, the back end of the roster is about protection. Contenders want playable bodies, lineup versatility, and insurance in case health or matchups suddenly force adjustments. A standard contract gives Boston another full roster piece as it heads into the postseason.
That context matters because the Celtics have been managing several health situations late in the regular season. Boston had not yet submitted its official injury report for Saturday afternoon, but recent games featured injury-related monitoring for multiple rotation players while the team locked up the No. 2 seed in the East. Boston clinched that seed with Friday’s win over New Orleans, a game in which the Celtics tied the NBA record with 29 made 3-pointers.
GettyDalano Banton has been in the Celtics system before, and could be a valuable depth piece.
Insurance Move — But Still a Meaningful One
The simplest read here is still probably the right one: this is depth insurance more than a sign of a major new need.
Still, moves like this say something. Boston is not coasting into the playoffs. The front office is still using the margins of the roster to make sure the team is covered. Banton’s size and ball-handling give the Celtics one more option if they need extra perimeter length, another secondary creator, or emergency minutes in a spot role.
That is especially relevant on a contender. The stars and core rotation will determine how far Boston goes, but playoff runs are not always clean. One injury, one foul-heavy night, or one matchup wrinkle can suddenly make a depth move look smarter than it did when it was announced.
The bigger Celtics story remains Boston’s playoff positioning and overall form. But Banton’s signing fits the same theme: get healthy, tighten the roster, and remove as many vulnerabilities as possible before the games become unforgiving. Boston already knows Banton. Now it has decided he is worth bringing back for the stretch that matters most.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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