Hornets decide against late-hour trade

The next chance for the franchise to continue rebuilding comes this summer, when the team changes names to the Pelicans, and can work to strengthen its roster through trades, the draft and free agency.

Hornets general manager Dell Demps declined, as usual, to discuss any details of trade talks he has had, but did shed some light on the reason he decided against making a deal when he spoke by phone to The Associated Press.

"I like our young team and our core," Demps said. "I look forward to seeing them grow together."

Heading into Thursday night's games, the Hornets were tied for the Western Conference's second-worst record at 19-36, 10 1/2 games out of a playoff spot with 27 games left.

The club is building on a young nucleus featuring top overall draft choice Anthony Davis and fifth-year forward Ryan Anderson, the team's top scorer.

However, the 2011 acquisition of Gordon has yet to pay off.

Knee problems have made Gordon unreliable, and made the four-year, $58 million contract he signed last summer a burden.

Gordon appeared in only nine games during the 2011-12 season, during which he first tried to rehabilitate his right knee without surgery for about a month before electing last February to have a procedure done.

This season, Gordon has been productive when he plays, averaging 16.6 points, second most on the club. However, he has appeared in only 19 of New Orleans' 55 games this season. He missed the first 29 games while rehabilitating his knee from a setback during the summer, and since his return has been a healthy scratch in the second of back-to-back games, mostly in an effort to avoid any further problems with his knee.