Everyone knows what the Lakers need this offseason — and Magic Johnson spelled it out: “We need a center, and he’s got to be athletic, right? And then we need to improve that bench… get faster, longer, more athletic.” L.A. has had a target in mind to fit that exact mold. But now, a potential blockbuster trade on the other side of the country — one that has nothing to do with them — could blow up their entire plan.

This whole complicated web was brilliantly broken down on the Garden Report podcast, where NBA insider Bobby Manning laid out a potential three-team dance that, honestly, makes a ton of sense for everyone involved — except, maybe, the Lakers.

The trade scenario centers around Jrue Holiday, the Celtics’ defensive anchor and recent NBA champion. The idea: Boston sends Holiday to the Dallas Mavericks, a team in need of another elite perimeter defender alongside Luka Dončić. But there’s a big problem.

The Mavs would need to send back significant salary to match Holiday’s $32.4 million cap hit. As Manning explained: “If you’re the Celtics in all these deals, one of them that’s been mentioned is Jrue Holiday to Dallas, right? Holiday goes to Dallas — [P.J.] Washington, [Daniel] Gafford, those guys have to come back as matching salary there for Dallas. And that doesn’t really save the Celtics a ton of money if they’re taking back all that salary themselves.”

So, how do you fix that? You get a third team involved — a team with cap space that can help spread out the salary load. And that’s where the Brooklyn Nets — and the Lakers’ potential heartache — come into play. Manning suggested that Brooklyn could jump in and absorb a player like Gafford or Washington to make the financials work: “Does PJ Washington go to Brooklyn?” Manning mused. “Or Gafford — whichever of the two they would prefer there.”

But wait — why would the Celtics even consider moving a guy like Jrue Holiday in the first place? He’s a proven winner, a lockdown defender, and just helped them raise a banner. Simple: bad timing and brutal finances. With Jayson Tatum likely out most of next season, the Celtics’ title window is temporarily closed — and keeping a $500 million roster intact just doesn’t make sense. Thanks to the NBA’s new CBA, crossing the second apron triggers serious penalties, and Holiday’s $32.4 million cap hit makes him the obvious trade chip. It’s not about wanting to move him — it’s about needing to. At 35 years old, with over $100 million still owed on his deal, Holiday is the most logical trade chip to move. And that’s where the dominoes start to fall — right into the Lakers’ lap.

For weeks, Daniel Gafford has been reported as a top target for L.A. He’s young, bouncy, defends the rim, runs the floor — everything they’re looking for in a modern center. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha even reported that the Lakers were seriously exploring what it would take to land him. The cost? Likely steep: a package including Gabe Vincent, rookie Dalton Knecht, and a future first-round pick.

But if Gafford gets rerouted to Brooklyn as part of a Holiday-to-Dallas deal? That’s game over. The Lakers would not only miss out on Jrue Holiday — a player many fans hoped they’d sneak into the running for — they’d also lose their Plan A at center. And as if watching their top trade target get swept up in another team’s blockbuster deal wasn’t bad enough, the Lakers just got more worrying news about Dorian Finney-Smith. 

More bad news hits home for the Lakers

DFS, the tough 3-and-D wing the Lakers got from Brooklyn, became a really valuable locker-room guy, especially after his old Mavs teammate Luka Doncic arrived. He’s exactly the kind of player championship teams need. But here’s the issue: Finney-Smith reportedly just had surgery to clean up a nagging ankle issue that bothered him all season. The good news? He should be back for training camp. The bad news? It seriously complicates his contract situation, and the Lakers’ already tight budget.

Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for next season, and he has until June 29 to decide whether to opt in or become a free agent. And you just know he’s probably going to opt out, because he’s eligible for a fat new extension – we’re talking a deal that could be worth up to $22.5 million a year if he signs for four years. That’s a big raise for a 32-year-old role player coming off surgery, but in today’s NBA, that’s the going rate for quality 3-and-D guys.

And this is where every Lakers fan starts getting a migraine. The Lakers are already teetering on the edge of a salary cap nightmare. They’re just $16 million shy of that super-restrictive “second apron,” the one that basically handcuffs your ability to make trades or sign anyone good.

Of course, Priority No. 1 is LeBron James. He also has a player option and can opt out to get a huge raise of his own. You have to take care of the King, no question. But what about DFS? If you re-sign LeBron and give Finney-Smith a big new deal, you blow right past those luxury tax aprons, severely limiting your ability to improve the roster in other ways.

It puts Rob Pelinka in an absolutely brutal spot. Do you let a valuable, proven role player, a guy who fits perfectly with your stars, walk away for nothing because you can’t afford him? Or do you pay him, keep your on-court talent, but tie your hands financially for years to come with those harsh apron penalties? It’s a classic lose-lose situation.

So, while Laker Nation is out here dreaming about landing a big fish like Jrue Holiday, the real, immediate problem might be figuring out how to keep a crucial piece they already have without breaking the bank.