Maybe not their immediate depth with players in that trade, but they have very little to build with in the future being a second apron team. I think it's fair to say that this 2023/24 team is likely the best they will have during KD's time with the Suns. There are some new rules around luxury tax spending teams, and it puts some serious limitations on their roster building options (plus losing all those picks). The Suns in 2024/25 are projected to be over the Second Apron by 17m and then have 38m in cap holds for their free agents. They will be unable to do much of anything to improve significantly. They also have 188m committed to 2025/26, so it's going to be quite the balancing act to improve or make trades.
New CBA rules:
What are the penalties for the first apron?
The first apron hits when a team's payroll exceeds $172 million. At this point, the following restrictions are triggered:
Teams cannot acquire a player in a sign-and-trade if that player keeps them above the apron
Teams cannot sign a player waived during the regular season whose salary was over the $12.2 million midlevel exception
Salary matching in trades must be within 110 percent, rather than 125 percent for teams not above the apron
What are the penalties for the second apron?
All of the penalties for the first apron apply to the second apron as well, which is triggered when a team's salary exceeds $182.5 million. For the 2023-24 season, one additional penalty is added when crossing the second apron:
No access to the $5 million taxpayer midlevel exception
Starting at the end of the 2023-24 season, even more restrictions will be added to the second apron. These include:
Teams cannot use a trade exception generated by aggregating the salaries of multiple players
Teams cannot include cash in a trade
Teams cannot use a trade exception generated in a prior year
First-round picks seven years out are frozen (unable to be traded)
A team's first-round pick is moved to the end of the first round if they remain in the second apron for three out of five seasons