The Portland Trail Blazers quietly let Dalano Banton walk in free agency this summer. Because Banton himself is a polarizing guard, it was also a polarizing decision.
On one hand, Portland's offense will need more scoring with Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton out of the picture. On the other hand, general manager Joe Cronin decided to part ways with Simons and Ayton to free up touches for Portland's young core. To keep the high-usage guard Banton around would defeat that purpose.
Ultimately, the cons of keeping Banton around in Portland outweighed the pros, as the Blazers decided to sign Blake Wesley with the final roster spot instead.