Brunson is back. Towns is still waiting.

Jalen Brunson has been cleared for training camp following his left-wrist surgery in July, which is the best news this organization has gotten in a while. He averaged 25.6 points and 6.6 assists last season and won Finals MVP — the Knicks go as far as he takes them, and having him on the floor at camp matters more than almost anything else happening right now.

Almost. The Karl-Anthony Towns extension remains unresolved, and with Gersson Rosas gone since August 4, it's not entirely clear who's driving that negotiation. Towns posted a double-double average on better than 50% shooting last season. He is the second piece of this championship core, and he is heading into camp without a deal. That's a distraction the Knicks don't need, particularly with Philadelphia now carrying LeBron James alongside Joel Embiid and the Eastern Conference looking considerably more dangerous than it did in June.

The two storylines aren't unrelated. Brunson cleared is good news; Towns unsigned is a low-grade alarm. Camp opens with the franchise's best player healthy and its most important unsigned piece still in limbo. The Knicks have gotten through harder situations this offseason. But this one has a deadline attached to it, and it's coming up fast.