With power forward Nene close to returning from a thumb injury, the Nuggets waived the veteran center Jelani McCoy today, trimming their roster to 14 players.

?It sucks," McCoy said as he left the Pepsi Center. ?You come in and you bust your tail every day, but this is a business. I knew there was a chance this could happen, so I prepared myself. It was a good experience. I stayed in shape. I?m still living the dream. I don?t have nothing to be sad about."

McCoy, who has played for six teams in eight NBA seasons, appeared in five games for the Nuggets. He said his agent told him that other teams already expressed interest in signing him.

?It?s just about going back home and enjoying a couple days for Christmas and then packing back up and doing it all over again," McCoy said.