Knicks may have a Karl-Anthony Towns problem on their hands

The New York Knicks open training camp on Monday as the NBA's defending champions, and extension talks with Karl-Anthony Towns have stalled, according to ESPN's Shams Charania and Vincent Goodwill on Wednesday.

"Sources tell me that negotiations on the contract extension between the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns have stagnated. As it stands right now, a deal going into training camp is considered unlikely," Charania said on "NBA Today." "Talks have been described to me as cordial; there just has not been movement on a deal, especially as of late, to get something done. There's no doubt...that this is a cloud going into training camp."

How far apart are the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns?

SNY's Ian Begley offered a more upbeat account of the same talks on Wednesday. 

"There's been plenty of conversation between Knicks and Towns' side," Begley reported. "League source familiar with the matter said talks have been positive and NYK has made it known that it wants Towns to be a Knick for a long time, thinks highly of him."

Begley stopped short of disputing ESPN's timeline, and his report also put a figure on the Knicks' interest: deals starting in the $45 million to $50 million range. Towns is owed $57 million this season and is eligible for up to four years and $276 million.

Why won't the Knicks pay Karl-Anthony Towns the max?

"The big factor throughout all of this is that owner James Dolan has made it clear publicly that the team does not want to go into the second apron, and the team will not go into the second apron going forward," Charania said. "This current team right now is not a second-apron team, but next season, if this same team comes back, they would be a second-apron team. So, change is inevitable to some extent."