Building Nuggets' Best Trade Offer to Send Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Denver Nuggets probably don't have the ammunition to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.

Without an immense amount of young talent or future draft capital onboard, and already being strapped for cash headed into this offseason, Denver doesn't exactly set up as a premier suitor to facilitate such a blockbuster deal.

But that doesn't mean Denver won't at least shoot an offer to the Bucks' front office for their best shot at landing the two-time MVP. In fact, that could be the case for several teams around the league with even the slightest interest in getting in on the Giannis sweepstakes.

So what might the Nuggets' best offer for Antetokounmpo look like? And does the deal even come close to tempting the Bucks to pull the trigger?

Let's look at what that potential trade could look like between the Nuggets and the Bucks:

This is about as steep of a package the Nuggets could offer the Bucks without completely gutting themselves of a competitive roster.

They'd be dishing out an All-NBA guard in Jamal Murray, who might not be a perfect timeline fit in Milwaukee, but certainly does meet the mark for a necessary star cornerstone acquisition that'd have to come the Bucks' way in any deal dishing out Giannis.

Julian Strawther also adds an injection of youth for the Bucks on an expiring contract for next season, but would be a restricted free agent in 2027, and could have the chance at a payday from Milwaukee with an expanded role from what he's got in Denver. Zeke Nnaji would mostly be a salary filler to make the financial logistics work for both sides.

Oct 12, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) charges the basket with forward Zeke Nnaji (22) against Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) during the fourth quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Yet, the real highlight of the Nuggets' package could be their future draft picks. Pick 26 in this year's class won't mean much, but two unprotected first-rounders from 2031 and 2033 could be a pair of assets that really entice the Bucks.

Nikola Jokic and Antetokounmpo would be 38 in 2033, and the Nuggets would almost be certain to be sitting in a vastly different position from where this roster is currently— meaning those two picks could have a pretty high ceiling for reaching high up on the board once they are conveyed.

Would It Be Enough to Sway the Bucks?

The likelihood of the Nuggets being able to pull off a deal like this really depends on how the Bucks value both Murray and those future picks. If Milwaukee is wired towards getting a returning star talent and a couple of nice future assets on top of it, this at least checks both of those boxes.

But the Bucks are bound to get a ton of offers for the two-time MVP this summer. If a team like the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics were to come to the table with a tempting offer themselves, they have a lot more flexibility to sweeten the pot or give a stronger offer than anything Denver can do. This is about as far as the Nuggets can go while still remaining in the scope of realism.

There's also the big question for the Nuggets of whether or not Giannis would really fit this team's current roster.

Apr 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on after the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

By shipping off a shot-creator and ball handler in the backcourt like Murray to then add another piece in the frontcourt like Giannis next to Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, and Cameron Johnson, it's hard to imagine Denver does this without a few more roster shifts coming to form soon after as well.

That sets up for a lot of uncertainty for the Nuggets to pull off a deal like this one, and might leave it as a bit of a pipe dream more than anything. But at the very least, the idea does make for a fun one to think about when imagining two all-world talents like Jokic and Giannis in the same jersey.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google