NBA Rumors: Giannis considered more likely to force a trade than this other MVP

NBA Rumors: With the Milwaukee Bucks reeling, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade discussion has been a growing topic across the league.

Heading into the start of the season, both the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets were two teams looking to bounce back after disappointing ends to last year in hopes of emerging as a championship contender. Both with extremely talented rosters, the Bucks and Nuggets have not gotten off to the start they'd hoped. The Bucks are sitting in dead-last of the Eastern Conference standings at 1-5 through the first six games of the season and the Nuggets have been shaky all year long at 3-3.

Interestingly enough, both teams could be considered on the latter end of their championship windows. Since winning the title in 2021, the Bucks have looked worse and worse when it's mattered most, culminating in back-to-back first-round playoff exits and a depressing start to this regular season. The Nuggets won the NBA Championship in 2023 but lost in the second round of the playoffs last season to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After losing two key pieces to their championship puzzle in back-to-back offseasons, the Nuggets very much look like a team that has lost its DNA.

Giannis and Jokic find themselves in a similar position

With their superstars about to turn 30 years old this season, it's only natural to question their respective futures with their teams - especially considering the state in which their franchises find themselves. If they can't change the narrative of this season quickly, the argument will be made that both the Nuggets and Bucks may need to revamp their supporting cast, if not an all-out rebuild around their superstars.

To be quite honest, I'm not sure if Jokic or Giannis, at 30 years old, will want to wait around a couple of seasons for their front offices to retool the supporting casts around them if they can even pull off such a move that quick on the fly. Because of that, the trade talk is a natural possibility for both sides. However, as outlined by Marc Stein, if the talk around the league is any indication, it's much more likely that Giannis would demand a trade than Jokic at this point.

Logistically, that makes a ton of sense. The Bucks are clearly in a much worse position than the Nuggets. Around Giannis, Milwaukee has an often injured Khris Middleton and a 34-year-old Damian Lillard who is clearly past his prime. The Bucks also have no draft capital to use to acquire talent and are not expected to have much, if any, salary cap flexibility anytime soon. The Nuggets, at the very least, have a much younger supporting cast around Jokic and tradable pieces on their roster. Overall, I also don't believe the season outlook for the Nuggets is as bleak as it may be already for the Bucks right now.

If I had to make a prediction, I wouldn't expect Giannis or Jokic to demand a trade anytime soon. However, if it does happen, it's pretty clear the league expects the former to be the most likely of the two to hit the trade block.