Despite being tied for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at 7-4, the Milwaukee Bucks have tipped off their 2023-24 NBA season in rather underwhelming fashion. There were certainly lofty expectations for the Bucks when they landed Damian Lillard via trade this offseason and paired him alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Milwaukee hasn't met those expectations so far.

The record doesn't necessarily reflect the Bucks' disenchanting start to the season. For most teams, 7-4 is a solid place to be. But digging deeper into the numbers and looking at their losses, the Bucks have some real issues to iron out before they can truly cement themselves as top-tier contenders.

For one, the Bucks' defense has been horrendous. Milwaukee is currently 24th in the NBA in defensive rating. The team was 4th in that department last season and finished in the top 10 over the last five years. Sure, a lot expected the Bucks to have a drop off in defensive efficiency when they traded one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA in Jrue Holiday to bring in Lillard. But not many saw the decline to be this steep.

It's no secret Milwaukee needs to improve defensively if it wants any chance to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy come June. But the improvement likely won't come internally as they simply don't have the personnel to do so. It also doesn't help that one of their reliable wing defenders, Jae Crowder, just underwent surgery and will be out for eight weeks.

With that said, the Bucks could look to the trade market to address their issues defensively, particularly on the perimeter. Here are three potential trade targets for the Milwaukee Bucks early in the 2023-24 NBA season.

Alex Caruso

The Chicago Bulls could be on their way to finally opening up shop after hinting that Zach LaVine could be on the move soon. Chicago's disappointing 4-7 start to the 2023-24 season has prompted an impending fire sale within the organization. DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic should also find themselves in the rumor mill and could be on the radar of many interested teams. But the Bulls player the Bucks should keep an eye on is Alex Caruso.

The NBA champion will be the perfect player to slot alongside Damian Lillard in the backcourt. Milwaukee has a dire need for a lockdown point-of-attack defender and Alex Caruso is one of the best in the business. The 6-foot-5 guard helped lead Chicago to the 5th best defense in the Association last season to earn All-Defensive First Team honors.

Moreover, Caruso is also a guy who willing to do the dirty work and provide hustle and energy on both sides of the floor. Interestingly, Caruso has also been knocking down his shots from beyond the arc this season. A career 36.9 percent shooter from downtown, he is connecting on 44.8 percent of a his threes in 10 games so far.

It will be interesting how the Bucks can acquire Caruso, as they don't really have the draft capital the Bulls would want in a potential deal. Nonetheless, if they do land him, he could single-handedly solve the team's biggest issue.

Luguentz Dort

Another 3-and-D option the Bucks could look to acquire is Luguentz Dort. Like Caruso, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard would also help address Milwaukee's defensive woes on the perimeter.

Dort would also be an ideal guard to pair with Damian Lillard in the Bucks backcourt. The Montreal, Canada native is the very definition of a pest on defense and he brings plenty of energy and hustle on that side of the floor.

Moreover, Dort has improved drastically as a three-point shooter since he came to the NBA — well, for this season so far. He entered the campaign as just a career 33.2 percent shooter from long distance. But he is shooting an insane 47.1 percent of his threes so far this season.

It's worth wondering if the Thunder are even looking to move Dort. The 24-year-old is a key piece in Oklahoma City's resurgence this season and the franchise could see him as a big part of its future.

Nonetheless, their need for better frontcourt help could prompt them to move the defensive specialist. Perhaps Milwaukee can offer to send Bobby Portis to OKC or tap on a third team to help orchestrate a deal.

Royce O'Neale

Royce O'Neale is another player in the 3-and-D mold whom the Bucks can pursue in a trade during the season. At 6-foot-4, O'Neal usually plays a bigger role than his size. He's played the three-spot most of his career and sometimes even gets slotted in as an extremely small-ball four.

But he should have no trouble playing a backcourt role and anchoring the Bucks' defense on the perimeter. He's done that in the past when he was the primary point-of-attack defender for a Utah Jazz team that was terrific defensively.

A career 38.4 percent three-point shooter, the 30-year-old would also be a perfect fit in Milwaukee's offense.

O'Neale should be an easier target considering he is on an expiring contract and on a cheaper $9.5 million price tag this season.