ORLANDO, Fla. — Derrick Rose’s words have already resonated with center Joakim Noah. Now Rose is trying to sway shooting guard Eric Gordon to reunite with him in New York.
According to an NBA source, Rose has reached out to Gordon, the free-agent shooting guard who’s had injury issues but is the best 3-point shooter on the market.
Another NBA source told The Post the Knicks’ interest in the 6-foot-4 Gordon is gaining heavy traction within the organization as they desperately search for an affordable starting shooting guard.
Rose and Gordon have a nice history — once called “The Eric and Derrick Show.” Rose and Gordon were teammates on a Chicago-based AAU team, called the Mean Streets Express. Some still regard it as the best backcourt tandem in AAU history.
“We just played well together,” Gordon said in 2011. “At that time, we just wanted to show people that we’re trying to be the best out there. We jelled together. We both played up-tempo games and loved to attack the basket.”
That’s what coach Jeff Hornacek is hoping to do this season. Gordon’s 3-point shooting percentage across the past three years is 40.9 percent — one of the leaders among shooting guards. The red flag is Gordon, 27, hasn’t played more than 65 games in a season because of nagging injuries.
“He’s a scorer and shooter,” Rose once said of Gordon. “I was just feeding him. He made my job easy. We really had a great time. I’m still friends with him and his dad.”
Gordon (Indiana) and Rose (Illinois) both won the title of Mr. Basketball in their respective states and became lottery picks in 2008. Rose was the No. 1 pick by his hometown Bulls. Gordon got snatched by the Clippers at No. 7.
A source said Gordon has interest in the Knicks, who have a lot of shooting-guard options, including Courtney Lee, Kent Bazemore, Evan Turner and Chandler Parsons. But he’s on their radar.
As expected, the Knicks contacted reps for Lee, who has an offseason home in Orlando, where the Knicks brass is for summer league.
In search of a backup point guard, the Knicks also reached out at midnight to the reps of combo guard Austin Rivers, Doc’s son, who played for the Clippers last season and averaged 8.9 points and 1.5 assists. Rivers could command a salary starting at $5 million, according to a source, as he begins his fifth season out of Duke.
The Knicks reportedly are setting up a meeting with Turner, but he was higher on their radar before the Rose trade. Hornacek now prefers a knockdown shooter and Turner is hardly that.
A source said Bazemore first wants to speak with his Hawks before meeting with anyone else.
Cleanthony Early, the Knicks’ 2014 second-round pick, who suffered a left hamstring strain in the first summer-league practice Wednesday, sat out Thursday’s sessions. His status for the summer league is up in the air. He’s a free agent who likely will be in training camp but could have to fight for a roster spot.