Some of the Spurs' top trade targets have now been made untouchable, so they must pivot to find a new answer to their power forward problem.
In the early going of the season, the San Antonio Spurs had a firm grasp on the second seed in the Western Conference, but things have changed a little bit since the beginning of the year.
The Spurs were on a roll, and at one point went on an eight-game win streak. But then something happened that slowed down their effort a bit.
Spurs wing Devin Vassell went down with a left abductor strain against the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 29, and that kept him off the court until very recently, when he was cleared on Sunday.
But in that time that he was out, San Antonio went a very mediocre 8-5, and that has caused them to look for a trade in order to bolster their roster and get some depth, specifically at the power forward position.
Their main two targets were New Orleans Pelicans forwards Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, who are both having very solid seasons so far.
But here's the catch...
The Pelicans recently revealed that they were making both of them untouchable in trades, which throws a bit of a wrench in the Spurs' plans.
Murphy is averaging 22 points per game and is shooting 38 percent from three on eight attempts. While Jones is averaging just over nine and is playing just as good a defense as ever.
They would both be good players to plug in at San Antonio's power forward spot, which is where Harrison Barnes currently is.
And he has not been his usual self, which could possibly be because of his advancing age.
The 33-year-old forward is averaging 10 points per game, but he is only shooting 35 percent from three. This wouldn't be all too bad if the Spurs weren't struggling from three with now, and if Barnes hadn't shot 42 percent just last season.
Murphy and Jones being taken off the trade block means that the Spurs will either have to find someone else, or they will have to look at their roster and see who could take a step up.
Julian Champagnie or Keldon Johnson could take a step forward, who are both coming off the bench consistently, but still have solid seasons. Champagnie has started 32 games, but most of them have been in Vassell's absence.
With their preferred trade targets now off the market, the Spurs will need to lock in and focus on pulling away from the Denver Nuggets, who they are currently neck-and-neck with for the second seed.