The first few days of the 2023 NBA Free Agency period saw its fair share of notable transactions.

The Los Angeles Lakers added depth off their bench with the signings of center Jaxson Hayes, guard Gabe Vincent, forward Taurean Prince and forward Cam Reddish. The Washington Wizards re-signed forward Kyle Kuzma to a four-year, $102 million contract. Forward Jalen McDaniels and guard Dennis Schroder made their way to Toronto through two-year deals of their own.

Minnesota added a few extra players to help shore up its bench in free agency. It signed guard Troy Brown to a two-year, $8 million contract with a team option in the 2024-25 season after he spent one season with the Los Angeles Lakers. It agreed to a two-year contract with guard Shake Milton after he earned averages of 8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last year.

Most importantly, they kept an important part of their young core intact by re-signing guard Anthony Edwards on Monday.

What is the best move the Timberwolves made during the first week of the NBA's Free Agency period?

Re-signing Anthony Edwards

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The Timberwolves locked Edwards down on a five-year contract that could reach $260 million. The 21-year-old guard showed gratitude to Minnesota in a Monday statement.

“I'm humbled, appreciative and excited to remain in Minnesota as a part of this incredible Timberwolves organization,” Edwards wrote in a statement, via ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski. “It's amazing to see where hard work can take you.”

Edwards was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The former Georgia guard has played in 223 games and started in 206 for the Timberwolves since the 2020-21 season, earning career averages of 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He earned his first All-Star selection last year, taking spots with Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown on the reserves for Team LeBron.

Edwards scored 31.6 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished 5.2 assists and blocked two shots per game during the Timberwolves' five-game series against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Playoffs. He earned 41 points and three blocks during a Game 2 loss to the Nuggets at Ball Arena, hitting 14 of his 23 shot attempts and six of his 10 tries from the 3-point line as Denver took the 122-113 victory.

It's always smart to lock down a 21-year-old All-Star guard for the foreseeable future, especially if his contract extension lasts until 2029.

Minnesota has 13 players under contract for the 2023-24 season, according to sports salaries and contracts website Spotrac. The Timberwolves added forward Leonard Miller and guard Jaylen Clark via the NBA draft. Former Iowa center Luka Garza signed a two-way contract with the team on Tuesday. They brought back guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who played in 23 games for the team last season after he and guard Mike Conley were traded to Minnesota in a deal that sent guard D'Angelo Russell to the Los Angeles Lakers.

With division rivals like the Portland Trail Blazers adding notable talent through the NBA Draft, it will only help the Timberwolves to continue investing a competitive young core of their own to match an NBA champion in the Nuggets. Edwards, along with a few other young options in center Naz Reid and forward Jaden McDaniels, can at least set up the foundation for a solid young group that can stick around for the foreseeable future.