After a surprising run all the way to the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks didn’t make many dramatic changes this offseason.

For the second year in a row, their three most important players will be Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II.

Luka will still be one of the highest-volume scorers and playmakers in the league, but the additions of Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes probably don’t represent massive upgrades over Derrick Jones Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr.

But there was one splashy move, even if the incoming free agent is well past his prime. Klay Thompson is now a Maverick, where a streamlined role could extend his Hall of Fame career.

Dallas shouldn’t want the 34-year-old to stop moving off the ball. That’s a wrinkle that could make the Mavs offense more dangerous than it’s been in the past. But Luka can also create some of the easiest threes Thompson’s ever taken.

The Slovenian point man can create threes as often and effectively as anyone in the NBA. And if Thompson is simply ready to catch-and-shoot (something he’s never had a problem with), he’s going to hit a lot of threes in 2024-25.

He won’t make the defensive impact he did during his prime, but Lively, Marshall and Daniel Gafford can help on that front.

Dallas isn’t dramatically better than it was in 2023-24, but it didn’t really need to be to stay on the title contender’s tier.