Why Nuggets Will Stay Out of Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes

The NBA might be thrown into a frenzy if ESPN's Shams Charania's recent report comes to fruition. Charania reported on Wednesday that the Milwaukee Bucks are starting to listen to trade offers for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, as the "Greek Freak" is ready to move on to a new home.

"Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen, league sources tell ESPN," Charania reported.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready for a new home at the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline or in the offseason as several rival teams make aggressive offers to the Milwaukee Bucks for him, and the franchise is starting to listen, league sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/OejatbQjDy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2026

While there are a handful of teams that will do all they can to acquire Antetokounmpo, sorry to disappoint, the Denver Nuggets are not one of them. While the idea of a frontcourt duo of Antetokounmpo and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is enough to get excited, we have to come back to earth and accept the fact that it is not happening.

Why the Nuggets will not trade for Giannis

The idea of the Nuggets trading for Antetokounmpo begins with the question of whether or not they would trade away Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. How much would they be willing to tear apart their current championship-caliber roster to bring in the superstar forward?

Even if the Nuggets wanted to give away Murray and Gordon for Antetokounmpo, there is still one major problem for Denver. The Nuggets have zero first-round picks available to trade, and the Bucks would be ridiculous to give away their franchise superstar without getting significant draft capital in return.

ESPN's Bobby Marks recently placed the Nuggets in his "Pockets are empty" tier of potential Antetokounmpo trade suitors.

"The Nuggets sent their last tradable first-round pick to Brooklyn in the Michael Porter Jr.-Cameron Johnson offseason trade. As for the roster, it is difficult to envision a front office conversation about Antetokounmpo unless the Nuggets are willing to include Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson," Marks wrote.

Jan 23, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Nuggets simply do not have the assets to make a move for Antetokounmpo, or any star player for that matter. While they are reportedly gearing up for a minor move to shed some money, the Nuggets can be expected to stay relatively quiet ahead of next week's trade deadline.

Nuggets don't need Giannis

Luckily for the Nuggets, they certainly feel comfortable with their current roster, so they should not feel like they are missing out on the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. Even if they did have the draft picks to compile for a potential Antetokounmpo deal, there is no guarantee that acquiring him would make their team better.

The Nuggets arguably already have the league's top duo with Jokic and Murray, along with an impressive supporting cast, and there is no real reason to mess that up by bringing in another superstar of Jokic's caliber.

Why the Nuggets will not trade for Giannis

Nuggets don't need Giannis

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