The Los Angeles Lakers want to sign-and-trade Dennis Schroder rather than lose him for nothing. However, that could be tricky as league-wide interest in Schroder is lukewarm and any swap would require the participation of Schroder.

Shortly before the free agency moratorium is lifted, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer offered insight into trade talks surrounding the 27-year old point guard. (Schroder, infamously, turned down an $84 million extension from Los Angeles last season, only to see his value decline since.)

Fortunately for Schroder, four active teams on the market need a point guard: the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Washington Wizards. The Lakers agreed to a blockbuster with the Wizards last week that will send Russell Westbrook to L.A., though the deal cannot be formalized until Aug. 6.

Per Fischer, the Bulls' Plan A is signing restricted free agent Lonzo Ball to a four-year, $80 million deal, though there are contingency plans in place, including Schroder. Should the Pelicans free money via a Lonzo sign-and-trade, they could pursue Schroder.

The Knicks might be the most logical destination for Schroder. But, with roughly $50 million in cap space, they would have little incentive to help the Lakers and trade something back for him (likely an exception for a second-round pick).

The Wizards have interest in Schroder, too, leaving open the possibility of an expansion to the Westbrook deal, which could redirect Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or Montrezl Harrell elsewhere. Because the Wizards are over the cap, they would require a sign-and-trade to land Schroder — a far better scenario from a Lakers' perspective.

Furthermore, the Lakers have “not ended their search for ways to land” Sacramento Kings' sharpshooter Buddy Hield, per Fischer. Los Angeles nearly executed a trade for Hield on draft day involving Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell rather than Schroder, whom the Kings have no interest in, per ESPN's Zach Lowe. Perhaps Pelinka can include more teams and the 2027 first-round pick.

One potential obstacle of a Schroder sign-and-trade is it requires the participation of Schroder, who openly spoke about his desire to test unrestricted free agency throughout the season. According to Fischer, Schroder's camp and the Lakers have “not been in extensive contact” and “do not seem to be working in tandem.” That's not promising.