It is totally possible and isn't that hard at all (provided you just want some sliding images with no other functionality).
I would suggest starting here -> http://return-true.com/2010/09/getting-jquery-nivo-slider-to-work-inside-your-wordpress-theme/
An example of a working one (setup through functions.php using hooks).
/*
Nivo Slider
resource: http://return-true.com/2011/02/using-nivo-slider-in-wordpress-with-custom-captions/
*/
// load nivo slider script
function snix_add_nivo_scripts() {
wp_enqueue_script('nivoslider', get_bloginfo('stylesheet_directory').'/functions/nivo/scripts/jquery.nivo.slider.pack.js', 'jquery', '2.5.1');
}
add_action('init', 'snix_add_nivo_scripts');
// jquery for slide effects (eventually move to custom)
function snix_nivo_options() {?>
<script>
jQuery(window).load(function() {
jQuery('#slider').nivoSlider({
effect:'fold', //Specify sets like: 'fold,fade,sliceDown,random'
slices:15,
animSpeed:500, //Slide transition speed
pauseTime:4000,
startSlide:0, //Set starting Slide (0 index)
directionNav:true, //Next & Prev
directionNavHide:true, //Only show on hover
controlNav:false, //1,2,3...
keyboardNav:true, //Use left & right arrows
pauseOnHover:true, //Stop animation while hovering
captionOpacity:0.8, //Universal caption opacity
});
});
</script>
<?php }
add_action('thematic_after','snix_nivo_options');
// set image settings and thumbnail support
add_theme_support('post-thumbnails');
add_image_size('nivothumb', 960, 200, true);
//display on frontpage
function snix_slider_frontpage() {
if (is_front_page()) {
?>
<div id="slider-wrapper">
<div id="slider">
<?php
$captions = array();
$tmp = $wp_query;
$wp_query = new WP_Query('posts_per_page=5&category_name=featured');
if($wp_query->have_posts()) :
while($wp_query->have_posts()) :
$wp_query->the_post();
$captions[] = array('caption' => get_the_title($post->ID), 'link' => get_permalink($post->ID));
$image = wp_get_attachment_image_src( get_post_thumbnail_id($post->ID), 'nivothumb');
?>
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><img src="<?php echo $image[0]; ?>" class="attachment-nivothumb wp-post-image" title="#caption<?php echo count($captions)-1; ?>" alt="<?php the_title_attribute(); ?>" /></a>
<?php
endwhile;
endif;
$wp_query = $tmp;
?>
</div><!-- close #slider -->
<?php
foreach($captions as $key => $caption) :
?>
<div id="caption<?php echo $key; ?>" class="nivo-html-caption">
<a href="<?php echo $caption['link']; ?>"><?php echo $caption['caption']; ?></a>
</div>
</div>
<?php
endforeach;
}
}
add_action('thematic_belowheader','snix_slider_frontpage');
This snippet runs on anything categorized as "featured", but I think I recall someone made a case that it would better used with a tag instead, which will also work. The above is just a working test example as how to hook it, it actually has more functionality than you are needing, if you just need images, it is much easier.
If you search the forums more thoroughly, there are suggestions for plugins to use, but I haven't had to use any of them yet, so don't have good input on which plugin would have what you are looking for, even then you would still have to hook it into the header.
Hope at the least this gives you a starting point.