For months, everybody around the Detroit Pistons had something to say about Jalen Duren’s contract situation. On Sunday afternoon, Detroit will finally hear from Duren himself.

The Pistons announced Duren will meet with reporters at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center, marking his first media availability since his turbulent restricted-free-agency saga ended. Duren ultimately agreed to a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed deal with Detroit, but getting to that agreement was anything but quiet. He skipped Media Day, missed the beginning of training camp and spent months locked in negotiations that became one of the NBA’s biggest offseason storylines.

Jalen Duren Finally Gets His Turn to Talk

That is what makes Sunday interesting.

Until now, almost everything Pistons fans have heard has come from the organization, Duren’s representation, or reports surrounding the negotiations. Duren has not had the opportunity, or perhaps the desire, to publicly explain how he viewed a process that became increasingly uncomfortable as the summer rolled along.

Detroit reportedly worked its way from lower proposals to the $200 million offer Duren eventually accepted, while Duren had been eligible for a maximum contract worth roughly $287 million. At one point, a potential weight-related provision became part of the discussion before that provision was removed from the negotiations.

That should leave reporters with no shortage of questions Sunday.

The Pistons Contract Is Signed, But Questions Remain

The biggest question may have nothing to do with dollars.

How does Duren actually feel about the Pistons after all of this?

A subsequent report indicated that the lengthy negotiations created “fractures” in the relationship between Duren and Detroit. Maybe those wounds have already started healing now that $200 million is guaranteed and everyone can return to basketball, but Sunday should provide the first real indication from Duren himself.

Does he still view Detroit as the place he wants to spend the prime of his career? Was he genuinely prepared to play on the one-year qualifying offer and leave next summer? How close did things come to a sign-and-trade?

And, of course, there is the awkward question sitting in the middle of the room: Does Duren believe the Pistons showed him the respect he deserved throughout negotiations?

For $200 million, you would imagine everybody can at least agree to sit at the same table. Whether everything underneath the table has been cleaned up is another matter.

Detroit Needs This Story to Become About Basketball Again

From the Pistons’ perspective, Sunday represents an opportunity to turn the page.

Duren is coming off the best season of his career after averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 65 percent from the field. He earned his first All-Star appearance and Third Team All-NBA honors at just 22 years old, helping establish himself alongside Cade Cunningham as one of the most important pieces of Detroit’s future.

That is the version of Jalen Duren the Pistons need everyone discussing again.

The contract drama consumed Media Day and followed Detroit into training camp. Now the money is settled, Duren is under contract through the 2030-31 season, and the Pistons can focus on trying to build upon a 60-win season.

But first, Duren gets the microphone.

After an entire summer of other people explaining where he stood, Sunday afternoon will finally give Pistons fans the chance to hear it directly from him.

And depending on what he says, the $200 million contract may have ended the negotiation without necessarily ending the story.