The Denver Nuggets announced Sunday they have released guard Nick Young, who they signed earlier this month with a hardship exception.

"We want to thank Nick for coming to Denver on such short notice to give us some relief with our injury issues," general manager Tim Connelly said in a statement. "He immediately fit in with our group and did everything that was asked of him by being the great teammate and consummate pro he is."

Young, 33, appeared in four games with the Nuggets. He scored a total of nine points on 33.3 percent shooting in 38 minutes played.

Paul Millsap returned to the lineup for Saturday's win over the Phoenix Suns, necessitating the move to release Young. 

The Nuggets have battled through a rash of injuries all season but still have the top seed in the Western Conference.

Young spent last season with the Golden State Warriors, averaging 7.3 points and 1.6 rebounds on 41.2 percent shooting. He won his first NBA championship with the organization but went unsigned after a rocky offseason, which included an August arrest for not cooperating with officers during a traffic stop.

The sharpshooter went unsigned until the Nuggets brought him in for this brief stint. Denver was his sixth NBA organization in 11 seasons.