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A Dwightmare of a prolonged trade saga may soon become a Dwightmare for the Nets’ opponents.
League sources said the Nets and Magic have had “good dialogue” and made progress in formulating an ultra-complicated trade scenario to bring superstar center Dwight Howard to a revamped roster in Brooklyn. Sources maintain there will be a resolution by tomorrow.
There have been as many as 14 players and four teams involved as the scope of the deal expanded to include a fourth team as the Nets seek another first-round pick to appease the Magic.
One of the teams being sought out to facilitate the trade is the Clippers, who would receive second-year Nets guard MarShon Brooks for a first-round pick. Brooks’ agent, Seth Cohen, confirmed talks being held with the Clippers for his client. Other teams also have been contacted.
Some teams obviously have no desire to help the Nets build a superpower in Brooklyn by adding Howard to a mix that includes re-signed stars Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace along with Joe Johnson, whom the Nets recently acquired in a trade that cannot be finalized until tomorrow.
But there are just as many teams eager to help, especially in the Western Conference. The Magic, if they are to lose the second superstar center in their history, want draft picks and someone to take bad contracts off their hands.
“You’ve got teams lining up to give a draft pick to keep Howard away from the Lakers,” said one rival GM, laughing.
In the proposed trade, whose framework first was reported by Yahoo! Sports, the Nets would get Howard, Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark from Orlando.
The Magic would get a re-signed Brook Lopez, Damion James, Shelden Williams, Armon Johnson and three first-round picks from the Nets, including the one obtained in exchange for Brooks.
The Cavaliers would get a re-signed Kris Humphries, Sundiata Gaines, $3 million cash and a first-round pick from the Nets, along with Quentin Richardson from Orlando. The fourth team, presumably the Clippers, would get Brooks.
Another permutation of the deal has the Bobcats taking the place of the Cavaliers, according to an ESPN report.
The Nets have made repeated proposals that have been rejected by the Magic. The Nets envision a team worthy of a prolonged playoff run with Howard, Williams, Wallace, Johnson and virtually anybody as the fifth starter at power forward.
An additional snag comes from Humphries, who reportedly seeks a deal far longer than the proposed one-year pact. But one person involved in the situation said Humphries’ contractual status is “up to his agent.”
The Nets already have shelled out nearly a quarter-billion dollars during the offseason, re-signing Williams ($100 million) and Wallace ($40 million), taking on Johnson ($89 million) and signing European star Mirza Teletovic ($10 million).
Reports said the Nets and Magic have exchanged medical reports on Howard and Lopez, the two centers who are the primary pieces in the deal. Howard underwent back surgery for a disk problem while Lopez was limited to five games this season because of a broken foot and subsequent ankle injury.
“They [Nets doctors] will have to take a long, hard look at Howard’s [medical] situation,” one league source said. “I would have to say that would be far more scrutinized than Brook Lopez’s foot.”
The trade has contained as many as 14 players and figures to re-arrange at least 10 lives if it gets completed, sources said.
fred.kerber@nypost.com