On Saturday, news broke that the Boston Celtics sent Dalano Banton and Neemias Queta to the Maine Celtics, their NBA G League affiliate. Banton and Queta have previously played in the G League with the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings, respectively. In 2023, Queta was selected to participate in the NBA G League Next Up Game. Additionally, he was also selected to the G League All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA G League First Team.
The @celtics have transferred Neemias Queta and assigned Dalano Banton to Maine. Both are expected to be in uniform today at the Expo☘️ #bleedgreen pic.twitter.com/hG0d7C9uWq
— Maine Celtics (@MaineCeltics) January 13, 2024
Celtics News: Boston Sends 2 Players to G League
Dalano Banton
Banton signed a two-year deal with the Celtics during the offseason after a two-season stint in Toronto. On the season, Banton has played spotty minutes in 19 games as a role player, averaging 2.7 points per game. However, the Canada native started one game in November against the Atlanta Hawks. Banton played nearly 19 minutes in the win and recorded eight points, five rebounds, and one assist.
The biggest weakness of Banton’s game is his three-point shooting. This year, the six-foot-nine point guard is shooting 18.2% from deep. Though his 0.6 three-point attempts per game is a small sample size, this is not shocking news for the Celtics guard, a career 26.5% three-point shooter in the NBA. Banton’s lack of shooting made it more difficult for him to stay in the rotation. And even though they technically play different positions, Banton has played a similar role to Oshae Brissett, who has played well with Boston. It’s possible that moving Banton to the G League was done to free up another path for the Celtics to play Brissett more minutes.
Neemias Queta
It’s no news that Queta has turned some heads during his first season with the Celtics. Though he is signed to a two-way contract, there is optimism that he could become a constant contributor to the team. Next to Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, it would always be difficult for Queta to receive regular playing time. However, he seemed primed to overtake Luke Kornet as the team’s backup center. Kornet has played solid basketball this season and will probably remain the Celtics’ main backup center for now. Moving Queta to the G League seems to indicate the Celtics trust Kornet more than Queta in this role.
In 14 games this season, Queta is averaging 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. On Dec. 23, 2023, Queta played a season-high 23 minutes in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers. Since this game, however, the big man has only appeared in six of Boston’s 10 games.
The Last Word on the Celtics News
Banton and Queta may make their way back to the Celtics at some point again this season. The question is, though, what does this mean for the Celtics right now? With the trade deadline less than a month away, news of Boston freeing up some space on the roster is interesting. Of course, the timing could just be coincidental, however. It is also possible the team wants Banton and Queta to continue developing in Maine instead of just sitting on the bench.
