ORLANDO, Fla. — Assuming the Joakim Noah signing takes place, the Knicks may want to have their entire season sponsored by the Hospital for Special Surgery — as the hospital is doing for the summer-league squad.
The durability of the Knicks’ four presumed starters — they don’t have a shooting guard — will be under scrutiny this season. Noah, 31, is coming off a 29-game season during which he suffered two separate shoulder separations. The second — in January — put him out for the season.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said the Knicks would enter into free agency with the belief that any center they sign can play close to 82 games.
Noah was moving well and playing well before the second shoulder injury that required surgery. That mobility seemed to indicate the major knee surgery he underwent during the 2013-14 season was no longer a significant issue. Still, a two- or three-year deal would appear prudent.
“You’re looking at: ‘Is this guy worth a certain amount of money?’ ” Hornacek said. “‘Has the guy been healthy? Can he give us 82 games? Can he give us 40 games?’ That’s all in the consideration weighing the options.
“You don’t want guys who are big question marks. You do the background check with medical guys, try to make the best guess if he’s over an injury. If the guy does have an injury, what will his health be moving forward?”
With the Knicks having targeted Noah, it’s clear they believe he still has a lot left in the tank despite his mileage.
However, one individual familiar with the Knicks’ thinking told The Post that Noah is not expected to get major minutes — 34 per game tops — to keep him fresh and off the inactive list.
One NBA scout spoke with cautious optimism about the prospective addition.
“I’ve always been a fan of Noah’s, but injuries and age are a concern,” the scout said. “His best years are behind him. But I still think of him as a winning player.”
Noah, however, has missed at least 15 games in four separate seasons — injuries that have included ligament damage in his hand, sprained ankles and groin strains.
Of course, Noah could turn into the healthiest Knicks starter. Carmelo Anthony’s health still is in question after he completed his first full season following surgery to repair a torn patella tendon in his left knee. He missed 10 games last season — they were 0-10 without him — mostly due to knee soreness. That hasn’t stopped him from planning to play in the Olympics this summer, which will only add more mileage to his 31-year-old body.
Because of major knee surgeries, Rose missed 244 games since the 2011-12 season after winning the MVP award. Hornacek has already talked about keeping an eye on his minutes and perhaps resting him on the second nights of back-to-backs, continually monitoring the situation. He had his healthiest season in years in 2015-16, but still logged just 65 games.
And then there’s the rail-thin, 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis, who was impressing with his rookie durability for the season’s first few months, playing through minor injuries, before a late setback. He suffered a shoulder injury that ended his season with seven games left and ended up playing 72 games.
The Hospital for Special Surgery is on call.
History of injuries
The presumed addition of Joakim Noah will give the Knicks three veterans who have battled multiple injuries over the past five seasons. Combined, they have missed a total of 437 games, with Rose accounting for more than half that figure. Here’s a look:
Joakim Noah
2011-12: Missed 18 games due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in hand
2012-13: Missed 16 games due to sprained ankle, groin soreness
2013-14: Missed two games, but suffered bruised thigh, eye abrasion and had knee surgery after season
2014-15: Missed 15 games due to sprained ankle
2015-16: Missed 53 games due to a left shoulder separation
Total games lost: 104
Derrick Rose
2011-12: Missed 43 games due to sprained toe, back, groin soreness and torn ACL during playoffs
2012-13: Missed entire season due to torn ACL
2013-14: Missed 72 games due to torn meniscus
2014-15: Missed 31 games due to sprained ankle, hamstring, knee soreness
2015-16: Missed 16 games due to ankles, hamstring and groin soreness
Total games lost: 244
Carmelo Anthony
2011-12: Missed 17 games due to sprained ankles, groin strain
2012-13: Missed 15 games due to sprained ankles
2013-14: Missed 5 games due to shoulder soreness
2014-15: Missed 42 games due to knee surgery
2015-16: Missed 10 games due to knee soreness, sprained ankle
Total games lost: 89