What does it mean for a team to be under salary cap?

Being under salary cap means that a team has not utilized its entire salary cap space. In the context of salary cap management, each team is allocated a specific amount of money they can spend on player salaries for a given season. If a team is under the salary cap, it indicates that they have room left in their budget, allowing them the flexibility to sign additional players, negotiate contract extensions, or make trade deals without breaching the cap limits. This situation can be advantageous as it provides a team with options to enhance their roster and prepare for potential injuries or changes to player performance.

On the other hand, the other options reflect different interpretations of salary cap management. For instance, being fully utilizing salary cap space, exceeding salary cap limits, or releasing all high-paid players do not accurately convey the concept of operating under the salary cap, which specifically refers to having unspent cap space available.