2. Jalen Suggs
Jalen Suggs' name may not carry the same weight right now as Paolo Banchero's or Franz Wagner's, but he is just as much a part of the Magic's core. Early in the offseason, mock trades that swapped Jalen Suggs for Darius Garland popped up to address the Magic's lack of offensive creation and scoring.
That is definitely an issue the Magic need to address, but it does not make any sense to ship out Suggs before knowing what kind of player he can grow into offensively. Defensively, the Magic already know what they have in Suggs: an all-defensive-level perimeter defender who is the heart and soul of their defensive identity.
Offensively, Suggs already vastly improved in 2023-24, adding a reliable 3-point shot to his game. There is no reason to believe that he can't continue to improve offensively. The 2024-25 season is a chance for Suggs to prove that. Orlando is putting a lot of trust in him as the starting point guard. Carrying the brunt of the playmaking as well as the scoring load is a lot to ask of Banchero and Wagner. Someone has to step up their game as an offensive creator. If Suggs can do that next season, he will only solidify his status as one of the Magic’s core players.
He may not become a 20-plus point scorer or an All-Star, but Banchero and Wager need to be surrounded by high-level two-way players. Suggs promises to be just that, and for now, he should be considered just as untouchable as Wagner and Banchero.