Bay Area sports fans were on Monday forced to deal with the departure of an icon after news emerged the Golden State Warriors had agreed a sign and trade to send Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks.
A crucial figure in a Warriors dynasty that has seen Golden State win four titles, seeing Thompson wearing another uniform and playing on a different team to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will be extremely painful for Dubs fans.
Yet it’s the kind of pain Bay Area fans might have to get used to pertaining to a San Francisco 49ers team that may need to field a markedly different roster following the lucrative contract extension Brock Purdy is expected to receive next offseason.
The 49ers have been able to benefit from having a quarterback in Purdy on a rookie contract that will in 2024 count as just 0.3 percent of their salary cap, his affordability key in the Niners keeping together a star-studded roster that stands as the best in football in the eyes of most.
Purdy entering the ranks of the highest-paid players in the NFL will see the 49ers forced to make some difficult decisions and may lead them to part with some star names.
The most likely candidate is wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who was the subject of trade speculation around the draft . Any move to part with him carrying a post-June 1 designation next offseason would see the 49ers save $17.5 million against the cap, albeit with a dead cap charge of $6.6 million.
Samuel is not quite on the same level as Thompson in terms of Bay Area stardom. Had the 49ers prevailed in their two Super Bowl matchups since he was drafted in 2019, the two would probably be on equal footing.
Still, Samuel is a huge fan favorite who is the heart and soul of the team on the offensive side of the ball, a point illustrated by their three-game losing run in the middle of last season coinciding with the 2021 All-Pro suffering an injury on the first play on the first game of that winless streak against the Cleveland Browns.
Given the amount of talent the 49ers have on offense, with Brandon Aiyuk (second-team), Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Trent Williams (all first-team) earning All-Pro honors last season, their attack would likely still find a way to flourish even without Samuel from 2025 onwards.
But in terms of a gut punch, seeing Samuel depart for another team would be a significant one, and it’s one for which they should be prepared. The one thing that would soften that potential blow would be Samuel helping the Niners finally get over the hump in the 2024 season and ensuring his departure would come on the best terms possible.
Related: 49ers' Deebo Samuel looks in peak condition ahead of potentially even more important role in 2024
Local Dallas, TX
Most Popular
Comments / 0