The check’s in the mail tomorrow.
According to the NBA refund policy, that’s when Knicks season-ticket holders will start receiving their refunds for October’s three missed home preseason games. The checks will come with 1 percent interest, as mandated by the NBA. A league spokesman said refunds will be sent between Nov. 1 and Nov. 9.
The Knicks have added an additional addendum to the NBA policy. Knicks season-ticket holders had the option to keep their preseason money on their account and will earn 2 percent interest.
Commissioner David Stern wiped out all of the preseason on Oct. 4, and Friday put the final kibosh on all November regular-season games. Refunds for the missed November games — five Knicks home games — are due Dec. 1.
The sides could have a deal before Dec. 1 and Stern likely will try to make up a portion of the missed November games at later dates in a reworked NBA schedule that has no resemblance to those posted on team websites.
In fact, sources told The Post if a deal is agreed upon by next weekend, there will be a move to try to salvage a 78-game season. Stern said following Friday’s breakdown that had a deal been reached, the NBA would have staged a full 82-game season.
Stern could use the 78-game carrot as a negotiating ploy to have the players accept a 50-50 split on basketball related income if talks resume later this week. According to multiple sources yesterday, the sides needed the weekend to cool down without contact, and no further meetings were arranged.
By trying to squeeze in all those games despite losing the month of November, Stern has considered pushing the regular season back to late April and staging the NBA Finals in late June, ending it just a couple of days before the NBA Draft.
Interestingly, the NBA never announced the date for the NBA Draft or its location. Last June, it switched from the Garden to Newark’s Prudential Center due to the Garden’s renovation.
The Garden would not comment on the impact of a potential change to the NBA schedule if and when the lockout is settled, but MSG previously stated the transformation schedule allowed for the Knicks and Rangers to play through the Finals.
It would be a boon for the current players to still get a 78-game schedule despite the loss of November games. Their salaries are deducted for each game missed, including preseason.
However, Stern and the owners seem inclined to make the players lose as much money as possible now that regular-season games have been lost.
The union has already conceded on several salary-cap system issues while going from 57 percent in the last collective bargaining agreement to 52.5 percent on the basketball revenue split.
“I really have no response for all the disappointed fans,’’ union VP/Knicks guard Roger Mason tweeted. “This is a terrible situation and there are no excuses. We’ve had over two years.’’