Cleanthony Early could return from his gunshot wound sometime in March.

Early’s March timetable is why the Knicks are expected to add a depth piece to a 10-day contract soon and are “exploring several options,’’ including monitoring the players waived from teams at the Jan. 10 deadline for guaranteed contracts.

Early suffered a gunshot wound to his right knee Dec. 30 after being robbed near a Queens strip club at 4:15 a.m. after celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday. Early is expected to soon begin rehab.

“He’s feeling better and he’s going to be fine,’’ a friend told The Post. “It was the best possible outcome, and it’s not going to have any effect on his career. There was no structural damage and no infection, so he didn’t need surgery. That was the beautiful thing, not needing surgery. Thank God — his knee could’ve been blown out.’’