Be it for financial reasons, roster flexibility, or a combination of the two, it seems clear after Tuesday’s decision to waive second-year forward Gary Clark that the Houston Rockets always intended to free up a roster spot prior to the NBA’s annual buyout season in January and February.

In hindsight, the most intriguing aspect of the storyline was the team’s choice regarding what player would go to create that opening.

Related Rockets free up roster spot by waiving Gary Clark

The three obvious candidates were Clark, 21-year-old center Isaiah Hartenstein, and 26-year-old guard Ben McLemore, since they were all on partially guaranteed contracts and could be waived without the team incurring as much “dead money,” relative to a waived player with a fully guaranteed deal. Tuesday was the last day that players with partial guarantees could be waived without being owed a full season’s salary.

McLemore clearly wasn’t going to go, since he had carved out a regular role in head coach Mike D’Antoni‘s rotation with the Rockets and averaged nearly 28 minutes per game in December.

The choice for GM Daryl Morey effectively came down to an athletic big in Hartenstein or a defensive-minded forward in Clark. Both had nearly identical contracts for this season and next year.

As recently as Christmas Day, Hartenstein appeared to be behind Clark in the team’s pecking order. In 18 Rockets games from Nov. 18 through Dec. 25, the young seven-footer played in just seven of them, averaging 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in a mere 8.5 minutes per game.

Hartenstein even played in three December games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate — which typically shows that a player isn’t in the parent team’s immediate plans. Clark, on the other hand, did not play in any G League games in December.

Over that same 18-game stretch that Hartenstein played just seven times (largely mop-up duty) for an average of 8.5 minutes, Clark had several stints in D’Antoni’s actual rotation. By comparison, the 6-foot-6 forward played 14 of those 18 games at 12.8 minutes per game.

But Hartenstein got his chance when Clint Capela missed two games in late December with a right heel contusion, and he took advantage in a big way. In the two games that Capela missed, Hartenstein averaged 14 points (72.2% shooting) and 11 rebounds in 29.3 minutes.

Though Capela returned for Houston’s Dec. 31 game versus Denver, D’Antoni stuck with Hartenstein as his backup center ahead of veteran Tyson Chandler. The 2017 second-round pick continued to excel with 16 points (75% shooting) and 12 rebounds in a win over the Nuggets, including a team-best plus/minus figure of +21 in only 18 minutes.

After that game, D’Antoni offered rave reviews of Hartenstein:

Offensively, he does things nobody can teach. He’s quick in getting picks for James, he’s quick off the ball, relentless on the boards. Just his energy alone makes him valuable.

Mike D’Antoni with some major praise for Isaiah Hartenstein: “Offensively, he does things nobody can teach. He’s quick in getting picks for James, he’s quick off the ball, relentless on the boards. Just his energy alone makes him valuable.” pic.twitter.com/DURKh2REUD — Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) January 1, 2020

It was a small sample of only three games, but the raw numbers of 14.7 points (73.1% FG) and 11.3 rebounds in just 25.5 minutes were hard to ignore. Moreover, for the NBA’s oldest roster and often an undersized one with 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker starting at power forward, Hartenstein’s dose of youth, size, and athleticism up front was a welcome change.

Another part of the team’s thinking may have had to do with the recent return of Eric Gordon from knee surgery. With Gordon and McLemore able to play reserve minutes at shooting guard and small forward, that allows 6-foot-6 Danuel House Jr. to slide over to power forward when Tucker sits. In turn, that takes away Clark’s most clear path to minutes.

In contrast, at the center spot, Chandler played in just five of Houston’s 15 games in December after appearing in 13 of 15 in November. It seemed apparent that the Rockets were open to an upgrade, and Hartenstein took full advantage of his opportunity.

If he isn’t claimed on waivers, the relationship between Clark and the Rockets may not be over. According to media reports Tuesday, if the team is unsuccessful in pursuing a veteran player for that roster spot, they could pivot back to Clark at a later date.

According to a source close to the team, the Rockets like Clark but the contract was not an ideal fit and they are confident they can make an impact with that spot, especially as buyout season approaches. It's unlikely but possible that Clark returns on a different contract. — ClutchFans (@clutchfans) January 7, 2020

Re: Clark waiving—Houston currently looking at a couple options around the league who they anticipate could be waived soon. Another option is bringing Clark back, assuming he clears waivers. Team likes his potential. — Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) January 7, 2020

For now, the two sides will go their separate ways. Though the Rockets say they still like Clark’s potential, the combination of a sudden emergence by Hartenstein and Gordon’s promising return seemingly squeezed the 25-year-old out of their plans for the time being.