Pablo Prigioni was a late scratch Tuesday night, with the Knicks announcing a sudden hip injury 20 minutes before tipoff of their game with the Celtics.

The team had not disclosed the injury during Derek Fisher’s pregame press conference, leading to speculation the club didn’t want to risk injuring Prigioni any further because it is trying to trade him. Prigioni sat on the bench in a suit as the Knicks lost, 108-97.

According to a league source, Prigioni is on the trade block with the Feb. 19 deadline approaching. Though he is signed for next season at $1.7 million, only $300,000 of that total is guaranteed. Still, the Knicks are content to play their younger point guards, Langston Galloway and Shane Larkin.

The Cavaliers and Pistons each have need for a backup point guard and the Knicks have a need for second-round picks. They have traded all their second-round picks until 2019. A league source told The Post last week the Knicks feel Prigioni has value.

Fisher was vague on Prigioni’s injury during postgame press conference, saying he believed it happened during Monday’s practice. Prigioni has not played in five of the last eight games, including the last three.

Rookie Cleanthony Early said he’s fine if the club decides to shuttle him back and forth to the D-League if his NBA playing time doesn’t increase. Early returned Sunday from a two-game stint with the Westchester Knicks, where he logged 40-plus minutes each night.

Early didn’t play against the Lakers on Sunday and got in for 2:37 versus the Celtics Tuesday. The Knicks are trying to boost Early’s conditioning after he missed six weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-November.

“I’ll probably go back and forth,’’ said Early, a Bronx native who played high school ball in upstate Orange County. “It’s up to them. I wouldn’t say no. It could be good playing there, coming back to practice.’’

Early had quite a whirlwind week. On Thursday, Early played 19 minutes, mostly in garbage time, in Indiana. He practiced with the Knicks on Friday before going to the D-League team for Friday night and Saturday night games versus Sioux Falls, notching 39 points and 22 rebounds in the two outings, with Fisher and general manager Steve Mills on hand.

Early was back for the matinee against the Lakers on Sunday, but Fisher didn’t have the heart to have him playing his fourth game in four nights.

“The trainers felt it would be a little overwhelming,’’ Early said.

Fisher said, “I think Cle is in need of just playing the game and being out on the floor more and more.’’

Amar’e Stoudemire missed his fourth straight game with an ankle sprain, but Fisher wouldn’t rule him out for the Friday-Saturday back-to-back against the Nets and Warriors.