The Denver Nuggets signed center Jelani McCoy off the Los Angeles Lakers' Developmental League affiliate Thursday, bringing back a big man who had played with them in the preseason.

Earlier this week, the Nuggets released guard Mike Wilks to clear a roster spot for a big man with Nene (thumb) and Steven Hunter (knee) out for at least a month and starting power forward Kenyon Martin recovering from a bruised knee.

The Nuggets today are expected to sign center Jelani McCoy of the NBA Developmental League, a team source said. On Tuesday night, Nuggets' Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien watched McCoy's game in person in the Los Angeles area. McCoy scored six points with 10 rebounds and five blocks for his team, the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Late Tuesday, the Nuggets released guard Mike Wilks, with plans to clear a roster spot for a big man. Nene (thumb) and Steven Hunter (knee) are each out for at least a month, and starting power forward Kenyon Martin suffered a bone bruise in his knee last week. Though the Nuggets are hopeful Martin can play Thursday at the Los Angeles Lakers, he is still playing limited minutes because he is returning from knee surgery.

McCoy, the 29-year-old UCLA product, averaged 8.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the D-League.

The Denver Nuggets waived veteran guard Mike Wilks Wednesday.

The 5-foot-10 Wilks averaged three points and 1.5 rebounds in eight games this seasons.

In his 222 game career with stints in Atlanta, Minnesota, Houston, San Antonio, Cleveland, Seattle and Denver, Wilks  averaged 2.5 points and 1.2 assists per game.

As expected, Martin, with a bruised bone in his right knee, did not play against the Pacers,  but Coach George Karl said, "We're very hopeful" that Martin will play in Denver's next game which is  Thursday at the Los Angeles Lakers.

Martin, who is returning this season from right knee surgery, bruised his knee Saturday in Houston.

Denver Nuggets' forward Kenyon Martin had an MRI performed on his right leg Monday, which revealed a bone bruise of his right tibia.

He is doubtful for Tuesday's game against Indiana and will be day-to-day after that.

The 6-9 forward sustained the injury during Saturday's loss to the Houston Rockets and did not play in the second half.

Martin is averaging 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 13 games this season.

Nuggets' forward Kenyon Martin has a strained right knee and will undergo an MRI exam on Monday.

Martin suffered the injury late in the first half of Saturday's 109-81 loss to the Rockets. He went to the locker room prior to halftime and did not return in the second half.

Denver forward Kenyon Martin left the Nuggets' game Saturday night against Houston because of strained right knee.

Martin walked off the floor with 2:43 left in the half. He was evaluated in the locker room and the Nuggets announced in the third quarter that he wouldn't return.

Martin has missed 106 games over the previous two seasons because of microfracture surgeries on both knees.

Depending on the flow of the game, tonight could be the return of guard Anthony Carter, who has missed the entire season because of a broken bone in his right hand.

"I'm ready," Carter said following this morning's shootaround.

Whether he plays remains to be seen.

"I don't think about it a lot; I kind of know what my guys can do," Nuggets' Coach George Karl said. "The game kind of dictates my feelings and how I want to play, and we'll make those decisions as the game happens."

Meanwhile, the Nuggets will be without forward Linas Kleiza, who sprained his left ankle during Wednesday's game at the Los Angeles Clippers. Karl said Kleiza will not return until Tuesday, meaning he will miss Saturday's game at Houston.

Kleiza, who sprained the same ankle in the preseason, wore a walking boot Friday.

"Hopefully, I'll be back soon," he said. "I stepped on a foot then and I stepped on a foot again. It's just bad luck."

Allen Iverson's hamstrings never have been a serious problem, so when he suffered a hamstring strain during Monday's practice and the pain persisted, he was more than a tad concerned.

"It was new to me," Iverson said. "I didn't know what to expect from it, how much I hurt it or anything like that. So, it was kind of scary just for the fact that I've never had the injury."

But Tuesday he declared himself fine.

"I ran on it today, and I felt good," Iverson said.

Iverson admitted to having had recent hamstring issues, but said none have ever been anything that wore on.

"It's been bothering me for the last two or three games," he said. "But usually when I get in the game and started to run on it, it loosened up. It doesn't bother me anymore. (Monday), I think I was guarding J.R. (Smith), and he made a strong move, and I tried to beat him to the spot and I just got a sting. It bothered me, so I sat it out instead of trying to tough it out and hurt it some more."

Monday, the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard and the Denver Nuggets' Allen Iverson were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 12 through Sunday, Nov. 18.