I am no guru, but I believe this is how it works:
guaranteed money stays on the books
If it is guaranteed salary then that becomes dead money for those years (meaning the guaranteed portion of salary is counted against the cap)
If the guarantee is a signing bonus that gets spread out over the 5 years, so assume a 10 million bonus, that would count 2million per year, but after two years if he gets cut the remaining 6million bundles together and is dead cap money the third year. But if cut post June 1st (or designated as such) the team can take that 6million and spread it out over two years counting 3 million each year in dead money.
The rest of the money not guaranteed does not count against the cap if he does not play
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2022 06:59AM by headslapper.
