With Austin Rivers showing improvement in his second NBA season, the New Orleans Pelicans still consider him a valuable asset, according to sources.

It apparently turned out to be a deciding factor on why they didn't trade him, despite listening to offers.

At one point it looked like Rivers would need to be included in the Pelicans' deal for Omer Asik due to salary cap restraints.

''You have to admit that he has really improved his game," Pelicans coach Monty Williams said at the end of last season. "He's improved his shot. He finishes at the basket better than he did last year. His free-throw percentage came up. It's not where we want it, but it came up."

''I was constantly working the entire summer,'' Rivers said. ''I gained 10 pounds and I've got stronger in my upper body. This is my year.

''But I think at the end of the day, I think we all now understand we can only control what we can control. At the end of the day, we let all of the guys in the front office do their jobs. We just stick to what we do. We play.''