NBA Trade Rumors: Chris Paul Would Not Make Knicks Better Than Miami Heat

Chris Paul would not make the New York Knicks a better team than the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference, it would actually make them worse.

The Knicks cannot afford to give up any more depth and young talent because they traded away many good young players to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets last season.

You cannot win a championship in basketball with three stars and no bench. The Boston Celtics in 2008 surrounded their "Big Three" with several quality players, such as Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, James Posey and more.

Miami even has some good complimentary players around LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Udonis Haslem is an underrated defender and rebound, and James Jones is an elite outside shooter.

If the Knicks really make a trade with the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul, they will likely have to give up second-year guard Landry Fields, who became a big part of their success in his rookie season.

Fields is a quality scorer who can start at shooting guard or provide an offensive spark off the bench as a sixth man.

Chauncey Billups is a veteran point guard who still can be a very good player, and he will not want to be on a rebuilding Hornets team at this stage of his career.

The Knicks, you could argue, are a better team with Billups because of his NBA Finals experience. No one else on the Knicks has won a championship, much less an NBA Finals MVP award like Billups.

The Knicks are much better off waiting until the summer when they can acquire Paul via free agency and not have to give up any players.

Paul won't make New York a championship team for 2011-12, so why give up depth when there isn't a realistic chance for a title?

The Knicks need depth to win an NBA championship, as well as Finals experience, and in acquiring Paul they would have neither of those things.

Even with Paul, the Heat are the better team because they have guys on the bench who come in and contribute.

To acquire Paul, the Knicks would have nobody left who can provide offense from the bench.