Analyst says there's 'reason to believe' 49ers still trade WR Brandon Aiyuk

Trade rumors continue to fly about 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Over the weekend, a report emerged that Aiyuk had "officially requested a trade" from San Francisco, but his agent, Ryan Williams, responded to the claim with: "You need better sources."

It was later reported that Aiyuk has, in fact, not requested a trade. However, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio still thinks Aiyuk could be traded when it's all said and done.

"There's also reason to believe that, even though Aiyuk hasn't requested a trade, conversations might be happening to determine whether other team(s) are interested in making a deal — with the knowledge and approval of the 49ers," Florio writes.

Florio has a point. Although San Francisco has said countless times that it is not interested in dealing the star wide receiver, the two sides could ultimately not come to an agreement. In that case, the team would likely want to get something in return for Aiyuk instead of letting him walk free in a year's time.

Aiyuk's trade value would have likely dropped if he did officially request a trade as inquiring teams would have used it in their favor during negotiations. It may be that both sides are working to prevent that from happening no matter the outcome of the situation.

Florio also believes the recent rumors "could give both sides useful information as to what his market might be" with just 10 days until the 2024 NFL Draft.

The biggest hurdle in a potential trade would be agreeing to a new contract. He's projected to make about $25 million per year, per Spotrac. That's a hefty price following the bulk of free agency.

Still, several teams would likely be open to paying that for a player coming off a season with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.

Aiyuk is clearly unhappy with the situation after unfollowing the 49ers on social media. If they are unwilling to pay him, it makes sense to flip him for draft capital that could turn into a cheap rookie, who hopefully ends up being pretty good too.