The young upstart Orlando Magic seem poised to take a leap next season following their encouraging finish to the 2022-23 campaign. After starting the regular season with a 5-20 mark, Orlando found its stride and essentially became a .500 team, going 29-28 the rest of the way. With that said, the Magic should target a veteran in a trade this offseason who can help them ascend to playoff contention. Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso should be a player Orlando strongly considers going after.

A Magic offseason trade sends Alex Caruso to Orlando

With reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Markelle Fultz leading this young group, the Magic have a loaded roster of promising young studs who could potentially break out this upcoming campaign. They also drafted another intriguing young prospect in Anthony Black, who played well during the Las Vegas NBA Summer League.

By selecting Black, there is a high possibility Orlando parts ways with one of Cole Anthony or Jalen Suggs. Teams wanting to take a flyer on a former lottery pick may be interested in doing business with the Magic. Suggs could be the piece that lands Alex Caruso in Orlando.

A potential package would look like this:

Orlando Magic receive: Alex Caruso, 2028 second round pick

Chicago Bulls receive: Jalen Suggs, 2024 first round pick

Why this makes sense for the Magic

As mentioned, the Magic need a veteran who can help guide this team to the playoffs. Alex Caruso fits that bill.

Caruso's numbers don't really jump out the page. He averaged just 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in nearly 24 minutes per game for the Bulls last season.

Still, the stat sheet does not reflect what Caruso brings to the table. The 29-year-old possesses intangibles such as defense, hustle, and energy that contribute to winning.

Caruso does not need the ball in his hands to maximize his value. The Magic already have a ton of playmakers and shot creators like Banchero, Wagner, Fultz, and even Cole Anthony.

Caruso will just do his thing and help anchor this Magic defense that ranked 6th during their above .500 57-game run. He and Fultz could be a nightmare defensive perimeter pairing in the backcourt.

Most importantly, Caruso's mentality and presence should rub off to the young Magic players who want to learn the little, yet important details of what it takes to win.

The Magic showed a glimpse of this last season with their strong finish. Now they just need someone like Alex Caruso to nudge them to the right direction.

Why this makes sense for the Bulls

This makes sense for the Bulls because they need someone to fill the void by Lonzo Ball, who will already miss the entire 2023-24 campaign. Adding a point guard might be Chicago's top priority this summer. So why not take a flier on a former No. 5 overall pick in Jalen Suggs?

Suggs quite has not found his footing in the NBA after a standout season at Gonzaga, where he was a Consensus Second-Team All-American. Though his overall production dropped from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign, he did make incremental strides in year two.

The guard's efficiency from the field improved, jumping from 36.1 percent in 2021-22 to 41.9 percent in 2022-23. His three-point shooting also went up from a dismal 21.4 percent in his rookie year to 32.7 percent last season.

He is still just 22 years old and could breakout with the right situation. With the Bulls still bent on middling with their core of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic, they might as well just take a flier on Suggs.