CLEVELAND — For the first time in nearly three years, the weight is off Donovan Mitchell's chest — he can breathe a bit easier, and so can the Cavaliers.

Ever since the All-Star guard was acquired from the Utah Jazz, a cloud of uncertainty has followed Mitchell around, making the Cavs' future a bit murkier. This summer was a critical one for all involved, a crossroads for the franchise that was all dependent on Mitchell.

Mitchell eventually signed a three-year, $150.3 million extension to stay in Cleveland. Along with other long-term deals for Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the daily questions of whether Mitchell would stay or go can be put to rest, at least for the time being.

"I can come in here now and breathe," Mitchell said Monday at the team's Media Day, speaking for the first time publicly since signing the deal. "This is my first Media Day in probably three years where I don't have people asking me, 'What does it take for me to stay somewhere?'"

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Mitchell revealed Monday he knew around January that he'd sign a long-term deal to remain with the Cavs, who went on to beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics 4-1 in the second round.

When asked, "Why Cleveland?" Mitchell pushed back with, "Why not?"

"I love it here," Mitchell said, before discussing what he's enjoyed about living in Cleveland. "When I got traded here — it's no secret, I've said it — I thought I was going to New York, and I didn't know much about Cleveland. And the minute I got here, I told my mom, I was like, 'Yo, I really like it here.' Just the people, it's very convenient to travel back and forth from where I live … the passion of the fans, the food is good. … They've just been amazing to me."

And, sure, it's cold in the winter, but Mitchell is from New York, so that's nothing new. And besides: "I dress better in the cold," he said.

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Whenever the Cavs went through a losing stretch, or injuries piled up that might have derailed their future plans, the "looming cloud" — as Mitchell called it Monday — again would reappear, with people wondering if this would be what leads to the All-Star guard's exit from Cleveland, which would in turn flip the team's plans upside down. Several teammates said Monday they weren't surprised Mitchell signed his extension. But the possibility of a different outcome remained.

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Mitchell, Garland, Allen, Mobley, Max Strus and others are all back, as the Cavaliers are effectively running it back with the same roster, but now with new coach Kenny Atkinson at the helm — and a hope they can remain healthy at the right time.

"It's refreshing," Mitchell said, now with the contract clouds gone. "I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to be part of this group now. The biggest thing is now that I've signed the contract and we're here and now there's an expectation. It's not like we just signed and that's the end goal, we're happy, whatever.

"There's an expectation for us to do big things."

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Mitchell's contract extension with Cavs secures his future