49ers guarantee Colin Kaepernick’s contract

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Colin Kaepernick reached April 1 as a member of the 49ers. May 1 remains an open question.

Kaepernick’s base salary of $11.9 million for 2016 became fully guaranteed Thursday, when the 49ers kept him on their roster. To remove him before Friday, the official deadline, the team needed to notify the NFL office by the close of business Thursday, 1 p.m. PDT.

That didn’t happen, so Kaepernick’s salary is guaranteed. This sounds significant, but it’s really not.

The 49ers still could grant Kaepernick’s trade request, even if their negotiations with Denver sputtered. The Broncos reportedly offered a fourth-round draft choice. The 49ers sought a higher pick.

Still, do not be surprised if the teams resume talks in the days preceding the draft, which is set for April 28-30.

“If there’s going to be a trade, the more logical time would be right around the draft — at the end of the first day or the early part of Day 2,” said former agent Joel Corry, now a salary-cap expert for cbssports.com. “Teams historically don’t do anything unless there’s some sort of looming deadline.”

Thursday’s development does not preclude a trade because any team acquiring Kaepernick no doubt would want to renegotiate his contract anyway. The Broncos already asked him to take a pay cut to approximately $7 million for next season, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole.

Colin Kaepernick likely would have to restructure his contract if the 49ers honored his trade request. Colin Kaepernick likely would have to restructure his contract if the 49ers honored his trade request. Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 63 Caption Close 49ers guarantee Colin Kaepernick’s contract 1 / 63 Back to Gallery

That’s more than a 50 percent reduction. Kaepernick’s total haul for 2016 could reach $14.3 million, counting his base salary ($11.9 million), workout bonus of $400,000 and $2 million roster bonus ($125,000 per regular-season game for being on the 46-man roster).

Kaepernick might be amenable to a pay cut if it allows him to leave the 49ers, though probably not all the way down to $7 million.

“If he really wants out, he’ll have to put his money where his mouth is,” Corry said.

April could be interesting on many levels. The 49ers begin their offseason program Monday in Santa Clara, and Kaepernick is likely to attend — because he must in order to collect the $400,000 workout bonus.

This means Kaepernick, after formally requesting a trade, will work out with teammates who know he wants to play somewhere else. And he will start working with new head coach Chip Kelly, even though Kaepernick might be gone by month’s end.

Awkward.

The quarterback situation for the 49ers and Broncos should become clearer April 28, the first day of the draft. The 49ers own the seventh overall pick and reigning Super Bowl champion Denver chooses No. 31 overall; one or both teams could add a quarterback.

Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert are the only viable starters on San Francisco’s roster. The Broncos have Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian, a seventh-round pick last year.