If Julius Erving comes in as the head of the Nets’ basketball operations, Maurice Cheeks might not be far behind as the coach.

With Erving a candidate to return to the franchise that once sold him as a player, sources close to the Hall of Famer insist he would turn to Cheeks, his former Sixer teammate, to succeed Don Casey as coach of the Nets.

“Julius loves Mo,” the source said. “He thought he’d make a great coach when they played together, and he thinks so now. If he’s hired and he picks the coach, it’ll be Maurice Cheeks.”

Erving did not talk about Nets coaching candidates yesterday but instead insisted he wants to remain with the Magic in Orlando, where he has been part consultant, team diplomat and player mentor as a senior vice president. With the Magic since 1997, Erving has earned $2 million a year and currently is in negotiations on his new contract, which runs through June. He said he doubted anything with the Nets would happen this week, but apparently he is being targeted for many of the duties fielded by Nets team president Michael Rowe, who has 1½ years left on his contract and is likely to be swept away with Casey and GM John Nash, who has one year and a buyout year remaining on his deal.

“I’m under contract and have been having discussions with my company first. That would be my first option,” Erving told reporters. “Anything else would be a second, third or fourth option. If the first option doesn’t work out, maybe I’d do something else.

“Would I ever (be interested in the Nets)? I wouldn’t rule that out. I don’t think you can ever rule something out with the Nets or Philly. I’ve not had any discussions with the Nets.”

Let’s not forget: He’s negotiating with Orlando. But would Erving want the basketball operational duties of a franchise?

“That’s a hard question. It’s not something I’ve been pursuing. I don’t do that here. My discussions with (the Magic ) have been going back and forth,” said Erving, who claimed it was a “better than 50-50 chance” he would remain in Orlando. “We’re laying out different scenarios.”

Cheeks, considered one of the greatest pure point guards in history, has been a Sixers assistant for the past six seasons, the last three under Larry Brown. There undoubtedly would be matters of compensation, but the issue has not advanced that far. Worry about that another day, but it might not be a problem: Brown always has tried to advance his assistants, whether for collegiate or professional jobs.

Cheeks, who interviewed last year for the Washington job, has no head coaching experience. But otherwise, he makes sense. The one-time Knick (he was the return for Rod Strickland) obviously has the former player requirement on his resume, and that is a characteristic the Nets higher-ups seek. As a point guard, he would likely have a strong rapport with Stephon Marbury, one of the most valuable and important pieces in the franchise. Marbury also preaches defense, and Cheeks was a great defensive point, earning All-Defensive first team honors four times.

And while Cheeks, who played for the Sixers’ ’83 title team with Erving, would fit nicely into the Doc Rivers, Scott Skiles, Danny Ainge syndrome of thinking – get a smart, former player for your coach – don’t underestimate the Philadelphia connection. Nets principal owner Lewis Katz tried to lure away, among others, Sixers’ GM Billy King. He also is a huge fan of Erving, so Cheeks as a legitimate coach candidate has merit.

Cheeks retired in 1993 following a 35-game stint with the Nets under Chuck Daly. In his 15-season career, he played under and learned from a wide assortment of coaches, including Billy Cunningham, Matt Guokas, Jim Lynam, John MacLeod and Daly. Not a bad lineup.

Casey, meanwhile, remained waiting for the official word on his fate, which sources insist has been determined. Some suggest the Nets want their plan lined out before moving forward with the firings.

“I’m not quite sure what it means,” Casey said of the inactivity. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”