Could the Nuggets have a chance at Giannis?

The Denver Nuggets could be a sleeper contender for the Greek Freak. Once he hits free agency, the Nuggets should lay out the red carpet.

Hot take! The Denver Nuggets should attempt to sign Giannis Antentokounmpo. The limb we’re out on stretches as far as the eye can see. However, it does make more sense for Antetokounmpo to sign with the Nuggets than one might think.

The Milwaukee Bucks are clearly the favorite to retain Antetokounmpo and keep him in Wisconsin for the entirety of his career. But small yet steady rumors of his possible intentions have continued to swirl over the past year as his close relationship with former Bucks coach Jason Kidd continues to be a potentially large factor in his decision to go elsewhere.

The Nuggets have had success acquiring all-time great players in the past. Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups come to mind as players that have been brought in by the Nuggets in the hopes of pushing an already contending team a little bit closer to a championship berth.

The Nuggets wouldn’t be favored to land Antetokounmpo, but they could pitch Nikola Jokic’s superstardom as a tremendous attraction for him. Antetokounmpo’s best days in Milwaukee have come when he has capable center play around him in the front court. Brook and Robin Lopez have made his work substantially easier as he is able to effortlessly gallop up and down the floor and score in the paint despite not being able to shoot from the outside.

The Nuggets also have one of the league’s best point guards in Jamal Murray. A major hurdle for the Nuggets will be their ability to create the necessary max cap space to offer to Antetokounmpo, which would mean sacrificing many key parts of what is a very deep roster with a variety of skillful wings.

Michael Malone, however, will have just as much success with an absolutely nasty big three of Antetokounmpo, Murray, and Jokic. No one player in the NBA is truly untouchable, and Antetokounmpo might just give some thought to coming out west.