How is a signing bonus prorated if the contract is shorter than five years?

A signing bonus is prorated over the actual length of the contract when the contract duration is shorter than five years. This means that the total amount of the signing bonus is divided by the number of years in the contract, spreading the bonus evenly across each year. This method is crucial for salary cap calculations because it allows teams to account for the bonus within the fixed salary cap limits imposed by the league.

For example, if a player receives a signing bonus of $10 million on a three-year contract, the team would allocate $3.33 million against the salary cap each year for that player. This approach helps teams manage their financial commitments and maintain compliance with the salary cap. Understanding this prorating process is vital for evaluating the financial implications of a player's contract and for overall roster management strategies.