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Brunson Cleared, Camp Opens With The Roster Whole

Jalen Brunson gets the medical green light for camp, while the Towns extension keeps stalling.

$230.2Mpayroll, above the second apron
By the Knicks Nightly Desk · Friday, September 25

Jalen Brunson is fully cleared for training camp, Hoops Rumors reported Friday, after an issue had him under watch entering the week. The Knicks open the preseason October 5 at Philadelphia, with the regular-season opener set for October 20 against the 76ers on NBC and Peacock.

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Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Brunson's Clearance

Brunson goes into camp fully cleared, Hoops Rumors reported, an upgrade from his status a day earlier. New York needs him at full strength: last season he closed with three straight 30-point games, averaging 37.7 points over that run, and scored 20 or more in four of his last five outings off the bench. That is a champion's workload, and this roster does not work with him limited.

Camp Countdown

Preseason opens October 5 at Philadelphia, then home dates against Washington on October 8 and Minnesota on October 12, followed by a trip to Toronto on October 13. The regular-season opener lands October 20 against the 76ers, on NBC and Peacock. Mohamed Diawara is out with a finger and arm injury, targeting a return around October 1.

Towns Still Stuck

Extension talks between the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns have stagnated, Shams Charania reported this week, with the New York Post's Stefan Bondy putting the number at $272 million. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said he is worried it does not get done. New York carries $230.2 million in payroll, above the second apron and the $200.4 million tax line, and that math is the real holdup.

The Bottom Line

New York walks into camp with its point guard whole and its franchise center's future unresolved. Health was the fixable problem. The Towns number is not, and nothing on the practice court settles it.

Is Jalen Brunson healthy for Knicks training camp?

Yes. He was fully cleared for camp, according to a Hoops Rumors report, after an issue had him under watch earlier in the week.

When do the Knicks play their first preseason game?

October 5 at Philadelphia, with the regular-season opener set for October 20 at home against the 76ers on NBC and Peacock.

By the Knicks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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