If anything was apparent after the Boston Celtics' disappointing Eastern Conference Finals exit, it was that they needed more ball handlers. Then when Boston decided to trade away guard Marcus Smart, that need only became more noticeable.

To address their lack of point guards, the C's worked out a two-year deal with free agent Dalano Banton, per NBA insider Shams Charania. While the contract isn't finalized, the 6-foot-7 point guard should give Boston some versatility with a ballhandler who has plenty of size.

The Toronto native was drafted by his home team in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, yet he never got much playing time as a Raptor. Banton averaged just nine minutes per outing last season and only played in 31 games.

Due to that small sample size, his numbers are nothing spectacular, as he put up 4.6 points, 1.2 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. His length for a point guard is enticing though, and somewhat reminiscent of Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons.

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Unfortunately, like Simmons, Banton has never been an elite shooter. He shot 29.4% from deep last season and never had a better percentage than 24.7% in three years of college ball. An impressive final season at Nebraska, in which he posted 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, was probably what put him on many draft boards.

Similarly to newly-acquired wing Oshae Brissett, the 23-year-old Banton seems to be a work in progress. His three minutes against the C's in an early April game must've caught the eyes of Boston's front office, as he quickly posted 10 points while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field.

Banton, Brissett, and new Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis have all gone off against Boston before, so there's no doubt that President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens is taking note of who torches them. Hopefully, Banton will see a little more of the floor this season and be able to partially fill the hole left by Smart.