Coach Alvin Gentry, GM Dell Demps will return to New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry and general manager Dell Demps are not in danger of being fired before the 2017-18 season begins, the team announced Monday afternoon.

The Pelicans missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season despite a midseason blockbuster trade that brought center DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans to pair him with standout young forward Anthony Davis.

"After careful and thorough review of basketball operations, we have made the determination that the best course of action as we move forward into the 2017-18 season is to continue under the leadership of general manager Dell Demps and head coach Alvin Gentry," executive vice president of basketball operations Mickey Loomis said.

"We will continue to evaluate important roles on both the administrative and coaching staffs, which will be resolved at the appropriate time."

In Gentry's second season as coach, the Pelicans finished with a 34-48 record, a slight improvement over a 30-52 mark from the previous season.

"Our organizational expectations and goals have not changed and all of our efforts are focused on putting together a playoff-caliber roster entering training camp and ultimately into the season," said Pelicans owner Tom Benson, who turns 90 in July. "The end result as we move forward -- playoffs and winning a championship for our fans."

Demps joined the Pelicans as GM after the 2010 NBA Draft. The team has qualified twice for the playoffs, in 2011 and 2015, since then.

After the Pelicans were swept out of the first round by the Golden State Warriors in 2015, Demps fired Monty Williams as coach and replaced him with Gentry.

Gentry had served as the top assistant for the Warriors when they won the NBA championship that season.