NBA

Howard’s Magic trick doesn’t kill N.J. future

Prior to the Magic-Spurs game, the day before the NBA’s trade deadline Thursday, Dwight Howard, in a prearranged conference call, told those on the line — owners Richard and Dan DeVos, CEO Alex Martins, GM Otis Smith, agent-du-jour Dan Fegan and his parents — he was opting out of next season’s contract.

After the road ruination, Howard informed reporters he had decided to opt in.

What changed Howard’s mealy mind?

Maybe Tim Duncan told him he regrets crossing over Orlando as a free agent in the summer of 2000.

Maybe Duncan said he wishes he’d joined then-Magic coach Doc Rivers, with whom he’d developed a strong relationship in San Antonio. Back when, the latest Celtics sage revealed to yours truly he’d relocated after being ordered by owner Peter Holt to discontinue working out Tim because you-know-who was getting nervous.

Maybe Duncan told Howard he would have preferred to turn Rivers into a four-time championship coach instead of Gregg Popovich.

Who knows? Whatever happened, Magic management evidently refused to buy Howard’s abrupt back flip until he signed a document opting in. That’s why, Thursday at noon, three hours before the deadline, Smith and Nets GM Billy King were real close to firming up a trade.

No other team was involved. It would’ve been Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, Mehmet Okur’s expiring contract and two or three (lottery-unprotected; at least in one case) No. 1 picks for Howard.

Hedo Turkoglu would not have been involved. The Nets no longer owned the salary-cap flexibility to assume his $23.8 million obligation over the next two seasons.

Also, Gerald Wallace would not have been part-payment. Months ago, when the Magic appeared fed up with Howard, the Nets were set to give the Blazers four (not a typo) first-rounders for Wallace in order to satisfy Orlando’s roundabout demand, but not this time.

Now that Howard has deleted himself from the Nets’ immediate future, people automatically presume Deron Williams is the next link on the franchise’s corrosive bracelet of blights. As soon as the free-agent door swings open, long-time suffering fans figure Williams will slam it in their face … go back home to Texas and sign with the Mavericks.

That’s not going to happen, it says here. First of all, Williams wasn’t all that surprised Howard did an about face. He knows his friend well and, like Nets management, sensed a softening of the heart.

Consequently, Plan B and Plan C already had been mapped out … with Williams’ approval, if not suggestion. Plan B was Wallace’s procurement for next season’s shift to Brooklyn. Plan C is having $16 million in cap room stockpiled to spend on re-signing Lopez, a restricted free agent-to-be, and Kris Humphries, who’ll be unrestricted, or a superior macho forward … like Milwaukee’s Ersan Ilyasova.

If I’m King, the first person I call is the Magic’s Ryan Anderson, a long-distance dialer and above-average rebounder whom the Nets drafted No. 21 in 2008 before gifting him to Orlando for Courtney Lee in order to dump Vince Carter’s contract.

I’d give Anderson a 4-year, $35 million offer sheet, starting at $8 million annually or so. The Magic are on next season’s books for $70,307,000. Another $2,939,858 in salaries and they enter the luxury tax. If they want to keep Howard halfway happy, they must match. If they don’t, the Nets secure a rising quasar.

Nothing personal, of course.

Incidentally, by not opting out of next seasons’ salary ($19, 536, 360), Howard’s former agent, Aaron Goodwin,collects $781,454.40. That’s if their agreement was for the standard four percent, the maximum allowed by the Players Association. You do the math if their agreement was for three or two percent.

You do the math if their agreement was for three or two percent. One way or the other, Fegan doesn’t get a dime until Howard signs a new contract. New endorsement deals, where reps normally get a 20 percent cut, are a different story. Not a bad motive for pushing your client to move to the biggest market.

Not all that long ago, Fegan represented one player, Chris Dudley, a Yale classmate. He now has a stable of show stallions that would make Dustin Hoffman’s character in “Luck” jealous … and an equal faction of sworn enemies in management throughout the league due to his recurrent, hardcore non-negotiable stances.

A couple days after Phoenix acquired Shaquille O’Neal from Miami for Shawn Marion and Jason Richardson, Robert Sarver and I discussed the deal outside the Suns’ locker room.

“This wasn’t a 2-1 trade, it was 3-1,” he informed me with a big smile.

“How do you figure that?” I asked.

“We not only moved Marion and Richardson, we got rid of their agent as well.”

This just in: That crying you hear is Howard begging David Stern for a “do-over.”

****It doesn’t get any more disgraceful than getting beaten down by the unscented, thorn-less Bulls. Devoid of Derrick Rose and receiving nothing (0-for-8 FG) from replacement C.J. Watson (I’m astonished how good John Lucas, 20 points, has become), the Magic got mangled last night by the league-leading Bulls, 85-59.

Howard’s helpers managed to accrue 41 points,as only one of them, Anderson, reached double (10) figures on NINE assists, as opposed to 19 turnovers.

Think the DeVos family is getting its money’s worth?

Think Smith should be entrusted to keep squandering it?

Think Stan Van Gundy would have figured out by now how to set up shop for Howard in the low docks and how to get him the ball?

At the same time, Joakim Noah did a fabulous job covering Howard (18 points).

“It’s unfathomable,” emailed D.C. resident Tom Davis, “nobody has taught Dwight how to face the basket for eight or nine possessions per game and shoot a jumper from 12 feet. How can a pro center be UNABLE to down a deuce from barely outside arms’ length from the basket?”

That rouses the question, what does assistant coach Patrick Ewing do beside carry a clipboard?

Bottom Line: The Nets lucked out when they didn’t get Carmelo Anthony and they lucked out again by not getting Howard.

***The Knicks now own the distinction of having three coaches “resign” — Pat Riley (by fax), Jeff Van Gundy (on his way back from the hot-dog stand) and now Took-a-Hike Mike D’Antoni.

Of course, should D’Antoni rake in the remainder of his $6 million salary, it means his resignation is a fake, or, as the Knicks’ release noted, “a mutual decision.”

Obviously, D’Antoni continues to get the paper. That way his lips are zipped for a few more months.

Do Van Gundy’s pet writers honestly believe he’ll be considered for the Knicks coaching job should it open up? Yeah, like James Dolan is going to forgive him for screwing up a winning season! Van Gundy would have a better chance if he’d lost as much as Isiah Thomas.

By the way, how come Hall of Fame nominee Rick Pitino isn’t getting any play from the media and Las Vegas line makers as a possible candidate? Seems a bit petty people still hold a grudge against Louisville’s Blue Plate Special just because he conducted the Celtics chaos and phased out Red Auerbach.

Had the Celtics dealt Paul Pierce, it would’ve been without permission. Players on a team for eight or more years are entitled to a no-trade clause. But it’s not automatic, they must ask for it. Pierce never asked. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant did and does.

***Column contributor Mike Lione reports Spike Lee is deeply distressed he had to return Howard’s junior high school jersey: “He’d planned to wear it under jerseys worn by Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire … and peel ’em off, like in the Kevin Durant commercial, depending on who was getting the most shine.”