The Brooklyn Nets had several clear objectives following the midseason trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving: they needed to get younger, and they needed players who could put the ball in the basket. The team hopes Lonnie Walker IV can check both of those boxes, at least for next season, after signing the 24-year-old guard to a one-year, minimum contract.

Following a tumultuous season with the Lakers, Walker saw a chance to prove his worth with Brooklyn's young, new-look roster:

“Just opportunity. Understanding that this is a very young core group looking to build, looking to grow,” he said of his decision to sign with the Nets while speaking Tuesday at Summer League. “I think I fit perfectly with the fellas amongst the team as far as Cam (Johnson) and Mikal Bridges. On and off the court, we have very similar outlooks on life, and on the court we play very well. I think our chemistry and everything as far as growth and becoming a very special team is gonna be something really nice.”

Walker adds more youth and athleticism as a guard who can defend on the perimeter and attack the rim while providing some floor-spacing. He averaged 11.7 points on 44.8 percent shooting in 23.2 minutes per game last season. The Pennsylvania native was among LA's top offensive performers early in the year before seeing his minutes cut following a roster shakeup at the trade deadline.

He re-emerged in the playoffs, averaging 10.6 points on 54 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three during the Lakers' second-round series against the Golden State Warriors. That included a 15-point fourth-quarter performance in Game 4 to give Los Angles a 3-1 series lead.

Lonnie Walker IV and fellow free agent signing Dennis Smith Jr. (25) join a group of rotation players predominately in their mid-20s: Mikal Bridges (26), Cam Johnson (27), Nic Claxton (24) and Ben Simmons (26). The Miami product is bullish on how he fits into Brooklyn's youth movement:

“It's a perfect (fit),” he said. “I'm 24 years old. A very athletic guard who can score in a plethora of different ways. And then being able to just identify myself on the defensive side, being that dog and having players that are gonna bring that energy as well consistently. I think it's going to be a very easy transition to say the least.

“I think we all have similar intentions and knowing what we want to be amongst this team, that's just to be great, you know, every single day we're just gonna continue to try and be better than we were yesterday and just stack the days.”

Like Smith Jr., Walker has the elite athleticism to be a difference-maker on the defensive end. Both players can also provide some much-needed rim pressure for the Nets, who attempted the second-fewest shots at the rim in the league last season.

Walker said he's already spoken to Smith Jr. about the athletic pop they can bring to Brooklyn's backcourt.

“It’s gonna be a terrific time as far as kissing the rim, to say the least,” he said. “I guess I’m not gonna be the only one. I know what he’s bringing to the table. I told him we’re gonna lock in, we’re gonna turn it up, we’re gonna have some fun.”

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Also contributing to Walker's attraction to Brooklyn was the prospect of playing alongside Mikal Bridges, who was among the league's top performers during a 30-game stint to close last season. The newest Net said there's far more than Bridges' on-court performance that makes him such a well-respected player around the NBA.

“He has a great presence. He's a great human being. A very loving, caring person. A very humble individual,” Walker said of Bridges. “On the court, he's just a killer, man. To see his growth from Villanova to Phoenix to even getting his biggest role with the Nets and accepting that role and taking it to a whole another level. It just really just shows what type of person he is on and off the court, and it's well-deserved.”

The Nets' roster stands at 14 players following the signings of Walker, Smith Jr. and first-round picks Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead. Brooklyn guaranteed Royce O'Neale's $9.5 million contract Monday. They have until July 15 to decide on Edmond Sumner's contract after pushing back his guarantee date.