Carlos Boozer's injured knee is improving, but the two-time All-Star power forward indicated Wednesday he still isn't sure when he'll return.

Boozer said he's "not very close."

"I don't know how many days away," he said, "but as soon as the pain goes away I'll be back out there."

Asked about perhaps playing next week, Boozer said, "I can't speak that far in advance, but hopefully."

Boozer has missed Utah's last four games, including Wednesday's against Memphis, because of a strained left quadriceps tendon and bruised kneecap sustained in a Nov. 19 win over Milwaukee.

"It's getting a lot better," he said after Wednesday's morning shootaround.

"We'll just keep going down the path we're going down and rehabbing it, taking care of it, strengthening it and go from there," Boozer added. "All the experts are telling me that as soon as the pain goes away I'll be able to move around and get back out there. So I'm just waiting for the pain to subside."

Boozer also has switched from wearing a cast on the joint to a brace.

"I'm bending it a lot more now. ... The pain comes from trying to walk too fast, or (putting) all of my weight on it in a fast motion," he said.

KORVER UPDATE: Backup shooting guard Kyle Korver also sat out Wednesday but hasn't ruled out playing in one or both games of a back-to-back set Friday vs. Sacramento and Saturday vs. New Jersey.

"It's getting better," Korver said of his right, shooting wrist, which he sprained once earlier in the season, then re-sprained.

"I ... want to make sure it heals all the way," he added. "I don't want to have it be like the last time, where it's something that keeps on hurting and keeps on bothering me and gets hurt again. So ... hopefully this weekend sometime."

Korver, who also has missed four straight games, still is wearing a brace on the joint.

"I've been doing everything left-handed," he joked. "My signature's getting better. My left-handed free throw's getting all right. I've been eating left-handed, and I feel pretty good about it."

COLLINS UPDATE: Reserve big man Jarron Collins said Wednesday he's decided on rest rather than surgery to hopefully cure his ailing right elbow.

But Collins — who has appeared in only two games this season, and hasn't played in more than a week — still anticipates being out for more than a month.

"I can always get the surgery if it comes to that point where this doesn't work," he said.

Collins said he'll continue with rehab.

"I'm at the point now where I can start shooting," he added. "It's just a matter of knowing that if I were to go back out there the chance of re-aggravating it are pretty high. My strength isn't anywhere near where I need it to be."