How can teams create salary cap space?

Creating salary cap space is an important strategy for teams looking to manage their financial obligations while still being competitive in acquisitions. The correct approach involves restructuring contracts and releasing players.

When teams restructure player contracts, they can often convert base salary into signing bonuses, which can spread the cap hit over several years. This reduction in immediate cap hit allows teams to free up space in the current year. Additionally, releasing players who have high salaries but are underperforming or no longer fit within the team's plans also contributes to creating salary cap space. When a player is released, the team typically only incurs the accelerated portion of the player's salary capacitized to signing bonuses, potentially opening up significant cap room.

In contrast, signing more players generally adds to the existing salary cap and does not create space. Increasing ticket prices does not directly impact salary cap calculations, as the cap is based on player salaries and various team revenues, not specifically on ticket income. Avoiding the draft has no relevance to salary cap management, as it pertains to player acquisition strategies rather than financial maneuvering under the salary cap structure.