The New Orleans Pelicans' odds of reaching the playoffs continue to fade.

General manager Dell Demps sees reaching the playoffs as an important step in the maturation process of a young team.

“We’ve got a group we’re growing together to get better,” Demps said. “The key to our philosophy is to have a core built around Anthony Davis.

“That builds continuity.”

Demps has been reluctant to deal away any core players and has instead worked on shuffling the end of the roster.